nah

YBREAK

SERIES

981

by Bernard Seton

Prepared especially to give you broader scope

in your study of this quarter's Sabbath School

lessons, there is a chapter for each lesson in

the quarter. Take advantage of this opportu-

nity to enhance your study.

At your ADVENTIST BOOK CENTER

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Dear Sabbath School Members,

The Lord is pouring out such rich and abundant blessings upon our South Ameri-

can Division that it is like the widow's cruse of oil, and we are discovering

that it is necessary to go to our neighbors to ask for more "containers" so

that these too can be filled with God's overflowing blessings--the blessings

of new members joining our church ranks in great numbers.

What the South American Division needs most at this time are chapels and

schools made necessary by the increase of membership. The recently organized

West-Amazon Mission in particular needs new chapels urgently. The city of

Fortaleza needs an evangelistic center. A great deal of help is needed for

the new Trans-Amazon Academy already under construction and for other academy

construction in Brazil. We are thankful for the evangelistic outreach of our

secondary schools and rejoice in their growth.

I would like to express our gratitude to all of you in the Sabbath Schools

throughout the world for your help in the past as well as for the assistance

you will be giving us this Thirteenth Sabbath, for we are sure that your

traditional generosity will be abundantly manifest. As a result of this

united effort by the people of God, we will see the fruition of these proj-

ects in the South American Division.

We extend to you our love, fully abiding in the glorious hope of our Lord's

soon return.

Yours in Christ,

Presided

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TH11.11PHONE 241.0066

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1—A.L. 3-81

Gifts are a sign of caring. We like to give gifts to those we

love. How about the best gift? Let's invite someone we

love to Sabbath School and church on the next Com-

munity Guest Day. Your friend may accept the best gift

of all, eternal life. Caring can mean eternal life. Yes,

caring is life.

DAYBREAK

SERIES

Adult Sabbath School Lessons (USPS 702-480) / No. 345 / July-September, 1981

Contit

God the Revelator

Everlasting Father

Eternal Son

Holy Spirit and Holy Trinity

Creator and Sustainer

The Law of the Lord—I

The Law of the Lord—II

New Lives for Old

Trust and Obey

10.

Life, Death, and Resurrection

11.

Sleepers, Awake!

12.

Into Eternity

13.

Fruits of Belief

The Adult Sabbath School Lessons are prepared by the Sabbath School Department

of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The preparation of the lessons

is under the general direction of a worldwide Sabbath School Lesson Committee, the

members of which serve as consulting editors.

Editorial Office: 6840 Eastern Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20012

Lesson Author: Bernard E. Seton

Editor: Gordon M. Hyde

Editorial Secretary: Florence L. Wetmore

Circulation Manager: Gary Grimes

Art and Design: Pacific Press

Scripture references other than from the King James Version quoted by permission in this

quarterly are as follows:

NASB. From

New American Standard Bible,

1968, 1971, 1973„1975. Used by permission.

NEB. From

The New English Bible,

and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, New York City.

NIV. From the

New International Version of the New Testament,

Bible Society International. Used by permission.

Phillips. From

The New Testament in Modern English,

1960, 1972, by J.B. Phillips. Used by permission of The Macmillan Company and Collins Pub-

lishers.

RSV. From the

Revised Standard Version Bible,

1971, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in

the U.S.A., and used by permission.

Braille lessons available. See page 112.

Adult Sabbath School Lessons (standard edition). Published quarterly by Pacific

Press Publishing Association, 1350 Villa Street, Mountain View, California 94042,

U.S.A. One year subscription in U.S.A., $2.40, single copy, 60 cents. One year sub-

scription to countries outside U.S.A., $3.20; single copy, 80 cents. All prices at U.S.A.

exchange. Second-class postage paid at Mountain View, California 94042, U.S.A.

When a change of address is desired, please send both old and new addresses.

How well do you know your Bible?

Do you have to ask your pastor or Bible instructor to

answer those difficult Bible questions your associates are

asking?

It is just a matter of time before what you have in your

head is all you will be able to depend on.

If your B Q is down, daily lesson study will help you to get

prepared for the soon-coming conflict.

THIS WE BELIEVE

Studies in Christian Doctrine—Part I

Introduction

There are several reasons for studying the Christian doctrines on which the beliefs

of Seventh-day Adventists are based. First, memories are weak, and we need to

refresh our knowledge. Second, we are expected to grow in knowledge, and so we

need to restudy our faith in order to enlarge our understanding of it. Third, biblical

truth is of so rich a nature that fresh glimpses of its wealth always await our discovery.

Fourth, while the substance of truth does not change, the form in which it is cast and

the appeal that it makes need study from time to time to keep them relevant to the time

and place where truth is taught. But jewels that are reset do not change their nature

though their value may be increased. So it is with truth. After all, God has adapted His

teachings to the constantly changing human scene—from the Garden of Eden to the

advent movement and modern times.

On a much smaller scale, each generation of Adventists must take a fresh look at its

beliefs, applying them to local circumstances and expressing them to meet contem-

porary needs. Such study does not yield to unbelief; indeed it provides an opportunity

to strengthen faith in eternal truths.

Let us consider one more reason for a fresh look at some of our major beliefs. When

we first accepted them, they probably came through another person. We need to

make them our own by means of mature study. By regular, thoughtful attention to

Scripture we can make each doctrine an expression of our own conviction on that

subject. We can thus gain a deeply personal faith that is founded on a rich under-

standing of the Bible and a closer fellowship with the Father; Son, and Holy Spirit.

And while we are studying, we should remember that our God expects us to serve Him

with all our mind as well as with our other abilities. It has been said that the duty to use

our intelligence is. a moral duty, especially in the area of religious knowledge.

Carrying out that duty may spell the difference between life and death!

Two quarters' Sabbath School lessons (as we shall have) will not suffice for a

survey of all the doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; so we have to choose

some and leave others. The very act of selection may help to underline those teach-

ings that we see as most necessary for the 1980s. Similarly with the choice of

supporting verses—it may stimulate us to find varied scriptural support for beliefs we

hold dear.

Finally, and most important of all, there is the need to apply each article of faith to

our way of living. Unless this is done, we are merely collecting lifeless theological

declarations that become as dry as the proverbial hills of Gilboa. It is our act of

applying that gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to breathe anew into each doctrine

the breath of life that brings a change in our lives. There is not one biblical teaching

that does not require personal application to make it come alive for each of us; and

there is not one, no matter how difficult or even theoretical it may appear, that will not

bring spiritual life to them that accept and apply it in daily living.

Therefore, in the words of the most famous of all citizens of Tarsus: "Keep before

you an outline of the sound teaching which you heard from me, living by the faith and

love which are ours in Christ Jesus. Guard the treasure put into our charge, with the

help of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us" (2 Tim. 1:14, NEB). Then with confidence

we shall be able to proclaim, "This we believe!"

LESSON 1 June 28 to July 4

fi Golf_ tth

evellat r

"God, who at sundry times and in

divers manners spake in time past unto

the fathers by the prophets, hath in

these last days spoken unto us by his

Son, whom he hath appointed heir of

all things, by whom also he made the

worlds" (Heb. 1:1, 2).

This text is our first memory verse

for the quarter. It deserves to be

memorized. It contains much vital

information in a few words. It covers

about 4000 years of God's dealings

with His people, recording that

which He had spoken to them in the

persons of the prophets, then, in

early New Testament times, in the

Person of His Son. Through the same

Son, He had created the universe, of

which the Son had already been

appointed heir and therefore

Sovereign Lord.

Such a text provides a firm

foundation for our first week's

lesson, which teaches that He whom

Christians worship is a God who

makes Himself known. If He had not

chosen to reveal Himself to His

creatures, they would have no means

of finding Him. God must take any

first step, therefore; and our lesson

touches briefly on the three principal

ways in which He has given His

self-revelation to men. This deals

with a foundational doctrine.

Without it, none of the others would

have been formulated: from it, those

others flow.

This first lesson for the new

quarter falls into four parts. First

comes the revelation of God through

His creation (parts 1 and 2); then

comes the unfolding through

inspired Scripture (parts 3 and 4);

then the supreme revelation in the

Person of Christ (part 5); and last, the

application of this doctrine of

revelation to our lives, or our

response to what God has revealed.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

In His Creation

(Rom. 1:19, 20)

In the Heavens

(Ps. 19:1)

In His Word—I

(2 Tim. 3:16)

In His Word—II

(2 Peter 1:20, 21)

In His Son

(John 1:18)

Our Response

(Heb. 4:12)

God the Revelator

LESSON 1



❑

Sunday

June 28

Part 1

IN HIS

CREATION

How may all men and women receive their introduction to

the nature and works of Deity?

"All that may be known of God by men lies plain before their

eyes; indeed God himself has disclosed it to them. His invisi-

ble attributes, that is to say his everlasting power and deity,

have been visible, ever since the world began, to the eye of

reason, in the things he has made" (Rom. 1:19, 20, NEB).

This is a special statement, not a broad, general one. Paul has

earlier introduced "the gospel of Christ" (verse 16), and now he

turns to consider those who have not heard it. They have not

been left completely without a way to know God. All that men

are capable of learning about Him without special revelation

has been widely displayed in nature. Sufficient revelation of

"his everlasting power and deity" (verse 20, NEB) has been

given in His creation that all who will may know that God is.

While even the most careful study of nature cannot tell us

anything about the

person

of God, it can prepare us to accept

His

presence

in the universe. Nature is not found to be self-

creative or self-sustaining. "It is not by inherent power that year

by year the earth yields it bounties and continues its march

around the sun. The hand of the Infinite One is perpetually at

work guiding this planet. It is God's power continually exercised

that keeps the earth in position in its rotation."—The

Ministry of

Healing,

p. 416.

God invites skeptic and believer alike to examine the visual

evidence for His creative activity. Isa. 40:26.

A more literal translation of the second half of this verse and

adjustment of the punctuation brings out the prophet's mes-

sage more clearly: "that bringeth out their host by number, and

calleth them all by names: through the greatness of his might

and great power not one faileth," or "not one is missing."

Before man was made, the stars and planets in their brilliant

and orderly array silently spoke of the existence of a Creator.

The heavenly bodies continue to present that evidence, and all

men and women are invited to take time to lift up their eyes on

high and read it. Our survey of the heavens can open the eyes of

our minds to the greatness of Him who conceived, created, and

sustains the stars in their courses.



THINK IT THROUGH



What more can I yet learn about God from nature? What

effort am I making to acquire additional knowledge?



FURTHER STUDY



The Ministry of Healing,

pp. 410-417.

God the Revelator

LESSON 1



❑

Monday

June 29

Part 2

IN THE

HEAVENS

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

2-A.L. 3-81

What convictions did the psalmist receive as he gazed into

the heavens?

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament

sheweth his handywork" (Ps. 19:1).

The psalmist employs the same Hebrew words for "heavens"

and "firmament" as are used in Genesis 1:1 and 6. It is possible

to distinguish between the two by defining "heavens" as the

entire space in which all heavenly bodies are suspended, while

"firmament" is applied to the dome of the atmosphere into

which we look when we gaze at the space above us. The word

"declare" translates a Hebrew term that comes from a special

form of the verb "to write," and may be more richly rendered as

"tell with praise" or "celebrate." The word translated as

"sheweth" is still more vivid and suggests "proclaims" or

"celebrates with praise."

To him who thoughtfully looks at them both, the "heavens"

and the "firmament" reveal many aspects of their Creator's

nature—"the glory of God," His power, His majesty, His infinite

nature; "his handywork," His inventiveness, His skill, His su-

preme sense of order and beauty. To such an observer "day

unto day" will "pour out" or "gush forth" speech (as the origi-

nal word for "uttereth" implies), and "night unto night" will

"breathe out" or "declare" knowledge (verse 2). And this reve-

lation is worldwide, even universal (verse 3).

What questions concerning man did David's study of as-

tronomy provoke in him? Ps. 8:3, 4.

The psalmist was a keen observer of the heavens. What he

saw confirmed his belief in a Creator and led him to ask how

such an Almighty Being could bow low to care for so lowly, so

earthy and weak a creature as man. The answer revealed man as

the intended and still to be crown of creation, invested with

authority over animals, birds, and fish (verses 6-8). The revela-

tion increased the psalmist's admiration for the Maker of the

universe and Restorer of fallen man: "0 Lord our Lord, how

excellent is thy name in all the earth!" (verses 1,9). Modern man,

having gained a deeper knowledge of that universe, has still

more reason for believing in that Creator.

When did you last explore the night sky? Why not, on the

first clear night this week, spend five silent minutes gazing

into the starry heavens and gaining a fresh glimpse of the

glory and greatness of God?

Read all of Psalm 19, noting the close relation between ac-

ceptance of the revelation of God in nature and fulfillment of

"the law of the Lord." Read also Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol.

1, p. 1085.

God the Revelator

LESSON 1



❑

Tuesday

June 30

Part 3

IN HIS

WORD—I

What additional revelation, beyond that offered by nature,

has been given to man?

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16).

The realm of nature speaks a wordless language that can say

very different things to different people. Mankind, therefore,

needs clearer instruction if he is to gain deeper insight into the

attributes and powers of the Creator. Christianity claims that

this is given in the Bible or Scripture, and that this has been

"given by inspiration of God."

There are two permissible ways of translating the Greek orig-

inal of the text quoted above. It can be rendered "Every God-

breathed writing is," or, "All scripture is God-breathed," that is,

"inspired." Some interpreters would wish to use the former to

suggest that some scriptures are inspired and some are not. As

we shall note, however, there is no compelling reason to decline

the second reading which harmonizes best with the total wit-

ness of the Bible about itself.

It is difficult and dangerous to build a doctrine on one text,

and here it is not necessary, for the whole Bible unites to sup-

port the claim that it is "given by inspiration of God." Re-

peatedly from beginning to end it claims to quote the speech of

the Most High in many of its passages (see examples in Gen. 1:3,

6, 26, 28, 29; and Rev. 22:13, 17, 20), without claiming a dicta-

tional inspiration, its writers repeatedly declare that they are

giving out "the word of the Lord" (2 Kings 17:13; Isa. 1:2, 10; 6:8;

42:5-8; Joel 1:1; Gal. 1:11, 12; Rev. 1:1, 2).

List some of the personal benefits that may be gained from

a personal knowledge of the Bible. 2 Tim. 3:15-17.

The Holy Scriptures are the only books that hold within their

pages a worthy original revelation of God and His plan for

recreating the creation that has been so brutally marred by sin.

Those Scriptures can make their students "wise unto salva-

tion," and convincingly teach, rebuke, correct, and train them in

righteousness or in right conduct. In so doing, they reveal their

more-than-human origin and establish their claim to inspiration

and to being a prime source of our knowledge of God.



THINK IT THROUGH



Of what value is the Bible's own testimony concerning its

divine origin?



FURTHER STUDY



Discover in 1 Peter 1:10-12, 23, 25 further contributions to the

doctrine of the inspiration of the Bible.

God the Revelator

LESSON 1



❑

Wednesday

July 1

Part 4



What claim is made concerning the source of biblical

IN HIS prophecy?

WORD—II

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of

any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old

time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they

were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:20, 21).

The primary application of Peter's words is to prophetic pas-

sages in the Old Testament; but since Scripture itself makes no

distinction between the inspiration that produced prophecy

and that which prompted the remainder of the Bible, the apos-

tle's declaration embraces all scriptures from Genesis to

Malachi. The same principle can be carried over to all New

Testament writings, for these clearly endorse the Old Testament

and similarly claim God as their Inspirer. Compare 2 Peter 3:15,

16, where Paul's epistles are classed with "the other scrip-

tures."

Although the Bible was written by men, its messages were not

created by them. They were mouthpieces or penmen for the

Holy Spirit, who "drove" or "impelled" them to convey for the

record the divine disclosures. Thus the two Testaments

preserve revelations from God about God and His plan to save

mankind. The Scriptures, then, speaking in human language,

present us with a fuller portrait of the Creator than we can ever

discover in nature. (See Ex. 34:5-7; Isa. 57:15; Micah 7:18; 1 Tim.

1:17.)

Evaluate the claim to authorship conveyed in the following

passages. Ex. 20:1 with Deut. 5:22; 2 Sam. 23:1-3; Jer. 1:1-10;

1 Cor. 2:12, 13; Heb. 1:1, 2.

On many occasions. Moses, David, Jeremiah, Paul, and other

Bible prophets claimed to be recording or proclaiming the di-

rect speech of the Lord, as distinct from passing on His mes-

sages in their own words. This gives impressive authority to

their communications and closely connects the attentive reader

with God's own thoughts on matters of eternal consequence.

"The Bible is God's voice speaking to us, just as surely as

though we could hear it with our ears. If we realized this, ... the

reading and contemplation of the Scriptures would be regarded

as an audience with the Infinite

One."—Testimonies,

vol. 6, p.

393.

THINK IT THROUGH



What does the Bible reveal about the nature of the Almighty

that cannot be clearly drawn from nature?

FURTHER STUDY

Nine of the twelve minor prophets speak "the word of the

Lord" to their peoples. Trace this in the opening verses of all the

twelve save Amos, Nahum, and Habakkuk, then discover that

same "word of the Lord" in those three also.

God the Revelator

LESSON 1



❑

Thursday

July 2

Part 5



In spite of all that is declared in nature, and in spite of the

IN HIS SON

abundant revelation in Scripture, men and women still sadly

misunderstand the character of God. If Deity had not decided to

reveal Himself more clearly, men would have formed poorer and

poorer ideas of His character and intentions and would have

lost all saving knowledge of their Creator. To save man from this

destructive ignorance, God planned a still clearer revelation of

Himself.

By what means has God worked to make up for man's

inability to see Him?

"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son,

which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him"

(John 1:18).

Some have had visions of God (Isa. 6:1; Eze. 1:1; Dan. 7:9,10),

but not even Moses (Ex. 33:18-23) or Elijah (1 Kings 19:9-13), or

Paul (2 Cor. 12:1-4) has been permitted to see God. God's glory

is so great and man's sin-weakened capacity is so small that no

human eye can bear to look upon the divine radiance (John

5:37; 6:46; 1 Tim. 6:16). A pitying, merciful God chose, there-

fore, to reveal Himself in the Person of His Son, who so lived on

earth that our text can state: "He [God the Son] hath declared

him," and the Son Himself could say: "He that hath seen me

hath seen the Father" (John 14:9).

Think upon the significance of each item in Paul's summary

of the incarnate revelation of God in Christ. 1 Tim. 3:16.

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

It is thought that this verse reflects an early Christian confes-

sion of faith, set in the form of a hymn. "Mystery" comes from

the Greek

musterion,

"a hidden thing" or "a secret." "Among

. . . pagans

musterion . . .

was used for secrets or secret doc-

trines, to be made known only to those who had been specially

initiated. . . .

"In the NT,

musterion

refers to something that God wills to

make known to those who are willing to receive His revelation,

rather than to something that He desires to keep secret."—

S.D.A.

Bible Commentary,

vol. 6, p. 610.

"Godliness" is rendered by most modern translators as "our

religion"; while the best manuscripts favor "he who was man-

ifest in the flesh" rather than "God was manifest." The text

clearly refers to Jesus, who in His human form so appealingly

revealed the character of His Father. (See also John 1:14.)

Which principal characteristics of the divine mind do you

see most clearly revealed by Jesus of Nazareth?

Testimonies,

vol. 8, pp. 265, 266.

God the Revelator

LESSON 1



❑

Friday

July 3



Part 6



Apart from its revelations concerning the Creator and His



OUR



works, what does God's Word reveal about ourselves?

RESPONSE

"The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than

any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of

soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner

of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).

The Word is very much "quick" or "alive" today. Age does not

lessen its powers to reach us. It still has a special ability to pierce

our self-protective armor, to get to the heart of our aspirations

and our temptations, our strengths and our weaknesses. The

Word lays bare our secret thoughts and exposes our motives. It

challenges us to accept its teachings and heed its biddings.

What other benefits accrue to those who allow themselves

to be guided by divine revelation? Ps. 119:1, 105.

Those who faithfully follow the Bible's counsel find it is reli-

able and rewarding. As a result, they become "blessed" or

"happy." They also receive guidance for daily living. Divine light

shines on their pathway. In this respect, the Word may be

likened to a map which, if followed, will direct its reader to his

desired destination. But note that its directives must be heeded;

the Word cannot help those who reject its counsels. To see God

in nature, to learn about Him from the Bible, to become ac-

quainted with His Son—beneficial as all these accomplish-

ments may be, they are deceptive, they are useless if we do not

yield to their messages and allow them to bring us in penitence

to our Maker. .

In the light of all that has been revealed to us, what should

be our response to God the Revelator? Ps. 95:6, 7.

This is the natural response from those who truly see God. It

might rightly be said that those who do not render Him such

homage have not really seen Him. They have caught a distorted

view which leads them to deny what their finer senses would

confess. And remember that there are none so blind as those

who will not see. May we be preserved from such blindness!

Rather, may we "see the king in his beauty," and say: "Thou art

worthy,

Lord, to receive glory and honour and power" (Isa.

33:17; Rev. 4:11).



THINK IT THROUGH



To what extent has our personal knowledge of God as

Creator, King, Redeemer Increased during the past year?

Face whatever truth an honest answer brings.



FURTHER STUDY



The Ministry of Healing,

pp. 409, 410.

LESSON 2 July 5-11

Everllastilng Fait

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and

underneath are the everlasting arms"

(Deut. 33:27).

It is amazing that such a concept of

God should have come from such a

time and setting. Israel was still on

the east of Jordan, it had not yet

conquered Canaan, and Moses was

about to die and be buried in the

alien land of Moab. Yet the veteran

leader yielded not an iota of his

vision and knowledge of the

Almighty. After 40 frustrating years

that would have destroyed the faith

of a lesser man, he firmly retained his

understanding of the Lord whose

lieutenant he had been throughout

those four difficult decades. In

unshaken conviction he saw Him as

the Eternal, the Guardian, the

Sustainer, the Champion of His

chosen people.

The God who lived in Moses' time

is just the same today. The Eternal

will not alter. "I am the Lord, I

change not" (Mal. 3:6). We, then,

having accepted His eternity, can

range throughout human history and

find the everlasting Father revealed

in many different times and ways.

This aspect is touched upon in

Sunday's lesson. Succeeding days

consider His creatorship, His

kingship, His holiness, His paternal

love, and His redemptive act in

giving His Son. Study of these

features should bring us to our knees

in humility and gratitude before Him

in whom "we live, and move, and

have our being" (Acts 17:28). We

may be led to confess, "My God, Thy

benefits demand more praise than I

can give"

(The Church Hymnal,

no.

71), but we should give Him the

highest adoration of which we are

capable.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

The Eternal

(Ps. 90:2)

The Creator

(Isa. 40:28)

Royal Lord

(Ps. 95:3)

The Holy One

(Isa. 6:3)

Loving Father

(Ex. 34:6)

Our Saviour

(John 3:16)

Everlasting Father

LESSON 2



❑

Sunday

July 5

Part 1

THE ETERNAL

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

Note Moses' telling contrast in his statement of belief in the

eternal nature of God.

"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou

hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to

everlasting, thou art God" (Ps. 90:2).

In this, the only psalm that has come down to us from Moses,

the veteran leader records his unquestioning belief in God's

eternity. He who wrote Genesis, chapter 1, clearly sees that the

Creator Himself must have existed before His creative activities.

Moses sees no bounds to that existence. God is from everlast-

ing to everlasting, that is, from timeless eternity in the past,

continuing into timeless eternity in the future. But that is ex-

pressed in human terms. There can be no "time" with the

Eternal. He lives in an eternal present. Therefore Moses can say:

"A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is

past" (verse 4).

Consider the mind-stretching character of God's definition

of Himself to Moses. Ex. 3:13-15;

6:2, 3.

The exiled Hebrew was being commissioned to lead his

people out of Egyptian slavery. He needed to know the identity

of Him who was sending him on that fearsome task. The reply

came, "I AM THAT I AM" (Ex. 3:14), which answer, it is now

generally agreed, may be better expressed in English as " I WILL

BE WHAT I WILL BE." To the Hebrews, this conveyed the con-

cept of the eternity and possibly the self-existence of God. The

proper name derived from that expression used to be rendered

"Yahweh," but this, for reasons of language into which we shall

not enter here, has been adjusted to "Jehovah." That name is

translated as "LORD" in Exodus 6:2 and is printed in capital

letters throughout the KJV. In Exodus 6:3, however, the old

anglicized form "JEHOVAH" is preserved. (See also Ps. 83:18;

Isa. 12:2; 26:4.) The most helpful rendering is probably that

given in the French: "L'Eternel." The English-speaking world

might well adopt the truly reverent title of "The Eternal," even as

James Moffatt has done in his translation.

It may be persuasively argued that the eternity of God is one of

His prime attributes and one of the weightiest incentives for us

to worship Him. He who always has been, ever is, and ever will

be (Rev.

1:4-6;

4:8) is the Creator and can have no rival (compare

Ex. 20:3; Isa. 40:25; 43:10; 1 Tim. 1:17).

Here we have only touched the lowest thread on the hem of

the glorious garment of God. Ought we not to seek a higher

understanding of His greatness? Let us consecrate some

time to doing this during this week's study.

Gen. 21:33; Ps. 41:13; 93:1, 2; Dan. 7:9, 10.

Everlasting Father

LESSON 2



❑

Monday

July 6

Part 2

THE CREATOR

THINK IT THROUGH

The Eternal must also be the Creator, for, so far as human

reasoning can perceive, there must have been a time when the

Eternal was alone. If that aloneness was to change, creation had

to begin. Creation is shown solely as an act of the Godhead.

Although nature and man can do wonders in continuing the

productive processes on planet Earth, neither has the power to

start a creation. Creation demands a creative power outside that

which is created. The mystery of life remains in the mind and

hand of the Creator. The magnificent simplicity of Genesis 1:1

still stands: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the

earth." This is spelled out more fully in Isaiah 42:5.

In the light of the glory of Creation, what questions concern-

ing the Creator should men solemnly consider?

"Nast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the ever-

lasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth,

fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his

understanding" (Isa. 40:28).

We hear, but we easily forget. We therefore need repeatedly to

face life's greatest questions and to remind ourselves of the

answers. Today's scripture enquires: "Hast thou not known:

hast thou not heard?" and we must admit that we

have

known,

have

heard—but alas, we are so apt to forget. We need to

reject the temptation to create Him in our own feeble image: He

is never weak, never tired; His resources are unlimited; His

knowledge is fathomless. He is able, then, to be "the Creator of

the ends of the earth" and all that lies beyond.

As Paul immersed himself in a study of God's ways, what

awe-inspiring conclusions did he reach? Rom. 11:33-36.

If we were to meditate on the person, the character, and the

works of God as deeply as did Paul, we, while not inspired,

would be led to express a level of wonder similar to his. In

particular we would recognize our God as the Originator, the

Sustainer, the Monarch of all created things, and to Him we

would render the highest adoration of which we would then be

capable (Rom. 11:36).

"Great, 0 Lord, is Thy kingdom, Thy power, and Thy glory;

great are Thy works, Thy wonders, and Thy praises; great also

is Thy wisdom, Thy goodness, Thy justice, Thy mercy; and for

all these we do bless Thee, and will magnify Thy holy name for

ever and ever." Attributed to George Wither (1588-1667).

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 99-101.

Everlasting Father

LESSON 2



❑

Tuesday

July 7

Part 3

ROYAL LORD

Examine the significance of the brief description of our God

given by one of the psalmists.

"The Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods"

(Ps.

95:3).

The poet lived in a world of many gods. Only one small nation

had the vision and the courage to accept the revelation and to

choose to worship one God. Its spiritual leaders saw the "Lord

God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel" (1 Kings 18:36) as the only

deity worthy of worship; and in their better moments of faith the

ordinary citizens of Israel cried: "The Lord, he is the God; the

Lord, he is the God" (verse 39). When truly worshiping Him, they

turned from all other gods and saw their Lord as Sovereign

Ruler of the universe.

The psalms of David and other writers contain a wealth of rev-

elation concerning God's majesty, power, glory, justice, holi-

ness, and love. The Christian church has used the psalms for

some two thousand years and has thereby greatly enriched its

worship. We can enlarge our understanding of God by explor-

ing these same poems. We might begin with Psalms 11, 16, 18,

25, and 29 and continue till we reach the unparalleled insights in

Psalms 139, 145, and 147.

On the threshold of eternity, what charge is given to the

godly? What shout of praise will greet the ears of the Al-

mighty? Rev. 19:5,

This nineteenth chapter of Revelation opens with four "Al-

leluias" (verses 1, 3, 4, 6) that proclaim the triumph of "the Lord

our God" over all opponents. The godly acclaim the Supreme

Being as "the Lord God omnipotent," acknowledging that their

Master and God is the Almighty, the All-powerful. This is not a

fresh discovery. It was revealed in Creation and in the Exodus. It

was recognized by Job (the title "Almighty" is used in the book

of Job more than in any other section of the Bible), Abram (Gen.

17:1), Isaac (Gen. 28:3), Jacob (Gen. 49:25), the psalmists (Ps.

68:14; 91:1), and by the New Testament believers, whose theol-

ogy was drawn so largely from the Old Testament. But this final

"Alleluia" is different from all others that have sounded in

human history. It is based, not on faith, but on visible, conclu-

sive evidence. (See Rev. 11:15.)

"Those who in heaven join with the angelic choir in their

anthem of praise must learn on earth the sound of heaven, the

keynote of which is than ksgivi

ng."—Testimonies, vol.

7, p. 244.

What practical application does my belief in God's omnipo-

tence have to my daily life as a professed Christian?

Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 33-43.

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

Everlasting Father

LESSON 2



❑

Wednesday

July 8



Part 4



Christianity is a courageous religion. It dares to offer stan-



THE



dards that are above and beyond the merely human. It calmly

HOLY ONE

does this while knowing that none of its followers is humanly

capable of reaching those standards. Its calm is based on its

knowledge of the Christian's God.

is sinless.

is the Perfect

One.

wants His followers to be perfect as He is and has

provided the power for them to be remade in His image. The

Christian, then, can regard his Lord's holiness in peace, know-

ing that his own sin can be overcome and forgiven by grace

from the Holy One.

THINK IT THROUGH

In Isaiah's vision of God (6:1-8), which of the divine qualities

was most prominent?

"One cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the

Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. 6:3).

We should join the seraphim and Isaiah in contemplating the

Lord's perfect holiness. If we catch even a glimpse of what they

saw, we shall join Isaiah in crying, "Woe is me! for I am undone;

because I am a man of unclean lips" (verse 8). If we fail to reach

that conclusion, we probably have not drawn near enough to

behold the King, the Lord of hosts, in His "endless wisdom,

boundless power, and awful purity."—Frederick W. Faber,

The

New Advent Hymnal

(Watford, Herts.: Stanborough Press,

1952), no. 35.

What connection does Peter make between God's holiness

and the moral standard set for Christians? 1 Peter 1:15, 16.

This call to holiness is no new requirement. (See Lev. 11:44;

19:2; 20:7, 26.) It stems from the quality of the divine nature. The

Holy One originally created only holy beings, and when and

since they fell (as all humans have done), He will re-create them

only in holiness. But "sanctification is not the work of a mo-

ment, an hour, a day, but of a lifetime.... Wrongs cannot be

righted nor reformations wrought in the character by feeble,

intermittent efforts. It is only by long, persevering effort, sore

discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome. We know

not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. So long as

Satan reigns, we shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to

overcome; so long as life shall last, there will be no stopping

place, no point which we can reach and say, I have fully attained.

Sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience."—The

Acts of

the Apostles,

pp. 560, 561.

Have we tried fervently to see "the Lord sitting upon a

throne, high and lifted up" (Isa. 6:1)? What progress are we

now making toward being holy as He is holy?

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 8, pp. 312-314.

Everlasting Father

LESSON 2



❑

Thursday

July 9

Part 5



When, in response to Moses' request, God unveiled all of

LOVING Himself that the great leader could endure, what revelation

FATHER was given to Moses?

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

"The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord,

The Lord God, merciful and gracious, Iongsuffering, and

abundant in goodness and truth" (Ex. 34:6).

After the crisis at Sinai when Israel worshiped the golden calf,

Moses asked God: "Shew me thy glory" (Ex. 33:18). In response

the Lord replied, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee"

(verse 19), and He did this (34:5-7). Moses then saw, not man's

idea of God, but God's understanding of Himself. Since He is the

embodiment of truth, God's revelation of His character could

not be more accurate—though for man's sake it was only partial

in its coverage. But what a portrait it paints! Until the incarna-

tion, it remained the deepest and highest revelation ever

granted mankind outside of Eden. It merits our constant re-

membrance, that we might ever know our Maker's mercy, grace,

patience, goodness, and truthfulness. We must also perceive

the Judge in the picture, realizing He holds us accountable for

cherished iniquity, while forgiving what we confess (verse 7).

What description does the God-man who knows God best

frequently apply to Him? Matt. 6:9.

Although in Old Testament days the Creator was sometimes

perceived to be the Father (2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 89:26; 103:13; Isa.

9:6; Jer. 31:9), it was Jesus who most vividly taught God's

Fatherhood. From His Sermon on the Mount onward He intro-

duced His hearers to their "Father which art in heaven" and

made them aware of hitherto scarcely known divine attributes.

(See Matt. 5:16, 45, 48.) And the Son, in His own hours of

deepest need, addressed His divine Companion by the tender,

trustful title of "Father." (See Luke 22:42; 23:34, 46.)

"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and

passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?

he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth In

mercy" (Micah 7:18).

"He [Christ] pointed His hearers to the Ruler of the universe,

under the new name, 'Our Father.' He would have them under-

stand how tenderly the heart of God yearned over them. He

teaches that God cares for every lost soul; that 'like as a father

pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.' ...

such a conception of God was never given to the world by any

religion but that of the

Bible."—Thoughts From the Mount of

Blessing,

p. 74.

Fundamentals of Christian Education,

pp. 307-309.

Everlasting Father

LESSON 2



❑

Friday

July 10

Part 6



During the past five days our lesson has glanced—and no

OUR SAVIOUR

more than glanced—at a few of Deity's most notable qualities.

We believe them to be essentials of God's nature: they are what

He is. Today's study invites us to see the fruitage borne by those

qualities in relation to our sinfulness.

"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have

everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Let us look at these words as if we had never seen or heard

them before. What a startling, humbling, hope-creating an-

nouncement they bring! The great God, "the high and lofty One

that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy" (Isa. 57:15), not

only made our world but loves it so wholeheartedly and everlast-

ingly that He has given Himself in His Son to save His creation

from its self-destructive sin. He need not have done this: He

could have left us to our fate. But that would have been contrary

to the highest of all His qualities—love!

Compare Paul's and John's expressions of the same re-

demptive news. Rom. 5:8; 1 John 5:11.

The Bible clearly places the initiative for our salvation with the

Father: it is God who "gave," who "commendeth," who "sent."

It is not He who belatedly responded to our despairing cry, but

we who respond to His loving act. He wants His erring children

to be saved from sin and to live forever. This glorious fact should

arouse in us an ever-deepening gratitude. Study Ephesians

2:4-7 and savor that love once again, and again!

"It is a thing most wonderful,

Almost too wonderful to be,

That God's own Son should come from heaven,

And die to save a child like me."

—Bishop William W. How,

The Church Hymnary,

rev. ed. (London:

Oxford University Press, 1942), no. 436.

What does Jesus see as the kernel of eternal life? John

17:3.

In verse 2 the Son has acknowledged His privilege of giving

eternal life to those whom the Father designates. In verse 3 He is

not defining "life eternal" but rather speaking of one of the

essential conditions for enjoying that life, namely, possession

of a personal, experiential knowledge of God and of His Son. It

is also true, however, that eternal life brings with it the blessing

of knowing God in a way that is impossible during a normal

life-span.

THINK IT THROUGH



How may I increase my personal knowledge of God's love?

LESSON 3 July 12-18

"When the fulness of the time was

come, God sent forth his Son, made of a

woman, made under the law, to

redeem them that were under the law,

that we might receive the adoption of

sons" (Gal. 4:4, 5).

We must never forget that it was

God the Father who took the

initiative in man's salvation. It was He

who "so loved the world, that he

gave"; it was He who "sent forth his

Son" to be the Saviour of the world.

But we must also realize that "the

counsel of peace" was between

Them both, that it was by mutual

agreement (humanly speaking) that

the Son left the heavenly family and

came to earth as a human babe. At

the end of His short earthly life, He

laid down that life by His own choice

and will; no man took it from Him

(John 10:17, 18). There was thus

perfect cooperation between Father

and Son for the redemption of those

who were made in Their image.

"By His obedience to all the

commandments of God, Christ

wrought out a redemption for men.

This was not done by going out of

Himself to another, but by taking

humanity into Himself. Thus Christ

gave to humanity an existence out of

Himself. To bring humanity into

Christ, to bring the fallen race into

oneness with divinity, is the work of

redemption. Christ took human

nature that men might be one with

Him as He is one with the Father, that

God may love man as He loves His

only-begotten Son, that men-may be

partakers of the divine nature, and

be complete in Him."—Selected

Messages,

bk. 1, pp. 250, 251.

This week's lesson presents a few

of the many glimpses of the Son's

nature that are known to us. This is

done in the knowledge that much of

that nature is yet unknown and

unrevealed to man. From His virgin

birth we perceive His deity and

eternity. In the same breath we

acknowledge His humanity and

rejoice that His favorite

self-designation was "Son of man."

On the last day of our study,

leaving so much unsaid, we see Him

as Saviour. But He is also the hero of

our faith; so later lessons will add to

the portrait that is sketched this

week.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

His Incarnation

(Luke 1:35)

His Deity

(John 1:1-3)

His Eternity

(Micah

5:2)

His Humanity

(John 1:14)

Son of Man

(Mark

6:3)

Our Saviour

(Heb. 4:15)

Eternal Son

LESSON 3



❑

Sunday

July 12



Part 1



Men and women had known of God from the days of Eden, but

HIS INCAR-

their knowledge weakened and was increasingly distorted as

NATION

time removed them far from the original revelation of their

Creator. This was foreseen by the Father. From times eternal He

planned to give a direct disclosure of Himself in the Person of

His Son. Christians see this foreshadowed in Old Testament

prophecies. (See Gen. 3:15; 49:10; Num. 24:17; Deut. 18:18; Isa.

9:6, 7; Micah 5:2.) "Like the stars in the vast circuit of their

appointed path, God's purposes know no haste and no

delay."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 32. And 40 centuries passed

after the Fall before the Son left heaven and came to reveal

God's character in His own Person through the incarnation.

What momentous news did the angel Gabriel bring from

God to an engaged Jewish girl in Nazareth?

"The angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost

shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall

overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be

born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).

Here we are observers of a most holy moment in human

history. The Godhead was visiting a humble but dedicated

young woman to appoint her as the mother of her Lord. The

Holy Spirit was to be the Agent to bring about that motherhood;

the Most High was to "overshadow" her to the same end; and

the Second Person of the Godhead was Himself to be the

divine-human Babe, the Son of Mary as well as the Son of God.

Thus did God demonstrate His intention of saving man from the

folly of his sin.

Discover the Godhead's two principal objectives in the in-

carnation. Matt. 1:18-23.

To Luke's beautiful account of the incarnation, Matthew adds

further vital details that arise from Mary's conception of Jesus,

which has already taken place. It is without question a virgin

conception, "of [that is, by] the Holy Ghost" (verses 18, 20). That

miracle was for the saving of "his people from their sins" (verse

21) by giving them a Saviour who was sinless—"in all points

tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15), and there-

fore "able to succour them that are tempted" (Heb. 2:18). The

virgin birth also brought God among His people as "Em-

manuel" (Matt. 1:23). So eternity was linked with time in the

Person of the God-man Jesus.



THINK IT THROUGH



What effect does the virgin birth of Jesus have on my daily

life? To what extent is Jesus saving me from my sins?



FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 34, 366, 367.

Eternal Son

LESSON 3



❑

Monday

July 13

Part 2

HIS DEITY

In a series of related declarations, the apostle John

presents the subject of Christ's divine nature.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with

God. All things were made by him; and without him was not

any thing made that was made" (John 1:1-3).

In these words that are the New Testament counterpart to

Genesis 1:1, the apostle introduces his Master as the

Logos—

the "expression of God." He portrays Him as eternal and divine,

the co-Creator of all things with God the Father. "If Christ made

all things, He existed before all things. The words spoken in

regard to this are so decisive that no one need be left in doubt.

Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was

with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed for

evermore."—Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Commen-

tary,

vol. 5, p. 1126.

In speaking of Christ, how does Paul express similar exalt-

ing thoughts? Col. 1:15-17.

In verse 13 Paul speaks of God's "dear Son" and then

launches into one of his sublime passages concerning the Lord

(verses 14-18). He depicts Him not only as Redeemer (verse 14),

but as "the image" or similitude "of the invisible God" (verse

15), the Creator (verse 16), and the Eternal One who holds all

things together (verse 17). Note that the act of creation is set in

the past tense ("were created"), while the nature of Christ is

expressed in the present tense ("is the image," "is before all

things"), thus conveying the truth of the ever-continuing like-

ness of the Son to the Eternal Father.

In His self-knowledge, what striking claim did Jesus make

before the Jews of His day? John 10:30.

Stark in its simplicity, astounding in its significance, the an-

nouncement staggered His hearers. They knew the identity of

the Father, and had demanded of Jesus: "If thou be the Christ,

tell us plainly" (verse 24). When He told them the truth, they

recognized what it meant: "Thou, being a man, makest thyself

God" (verse 33). Jesus, of course, was referring here to a unity

of spirit, thought, purpose rather than person; each divine Per-

son had in His deity the same convictions as the Other.



THINK IT THROUGH



Is my belief in the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth strong

enough to give me complete confidence in His power to save

me from my sin?



FURTHER STUDY



Selected Messages,

bk. 1, pp. 246-251.

3-A.L. 3-81

Eternal Son

LESSON 3



❑

Tuesd

July 14



Part 3



Belief in the divine Sonship of Christ calls for belief in His



HIS



eternity. Also, the incarnation could only be possible for a

ETERNITY

preexistent one—a person who did not previously exist could

not appear in another form—he would be making his first ap-

pearance. The doctrine of Christ's preexistence, then, merits at

least a further day's study.

What specific prophecy pinpoints Messiah's birthplace and

ancestry?

"Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the

thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto

me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been

from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).

Micah, a younger contemporary of Isaiah, also had the Mes-

sianic hope. He looked forward to the restoration of "the first

dominion" (4:8). He saw Bethlehem as the birthplace of the

"ruler in Israel." (See also Matt. 2:1-6.) He speaks of Him "whose

goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." That

phrase is more than a reference to ancient ancestry; it pro-

claims Messiah's eternity. "Christ was God essentially, and in

the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over

all, blessed forevermore.

"The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from

eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the

Father."—Selected

Messages,

bk. 1, p. 247.

When Messiah appeared as Jesus of Nazareth, what star-

tling claim did He make? John 8:58.

"The Jews had committed the error of ascribing to Jesus a

merely temporal existence. They saw only the historical

man-

ifestation,

not the eternal

Person;

only the human, not the di-

vine. Jesus, therefore, reaffirms his eternal, timeless, absolute

essence."—William Hendriksen,

A Commentary on the Gospel

of John,

3rd ed. (London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1964), vol. 2, p.

66.

Christ reveals that, even when clad in human garb, He had

come to be conscious of His eternity, aware of the divine glory,

responsibility, and knowledge of man's failures and triumphs.



THINK IT THROUGH



In what ways does your knowledge of Christ's eternity

strengthen you today?

As surely as a knowledge of His eternity sustained our Saviour

in the last dread hours of His earthly life (see John 17:5, 24), so

our belief in His eternal oneness with the Father will sustain us

until we are united with Him in eternal glory.



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 6, pp. 306-310.

Eternal Son

LESSON 3



❑

Wednesd

July 15



Part 4



Note how the beloved disciple confirms his Master's hu-



HIS



manity after asserting His divinity.

HUMANITY

"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we

beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the

Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

John 1:1-3 instructs us as to Christ's eternal divinity, while

John 1:14 teaches that He took humanity upon Himself. The

Word, God's thought made audible, became man and thereby

God's thought made visible. The inspired writer chooses his

words carefully, and we should do the same when speaking of

the union of two natures—divine and human—in one Person.

The more accurate translation of the Greek of verse 14 is "the

Word became flesh" rather than "was made flesh," for our Lord

was never "made" a man. He, already existing, "became" a

man.

Trace the steps recorded by Paul in Philippians 2:5-8 by

which the Son of God fully identified Himself with man.

He who is in every respect equal with God did not allow that

prized position to prevent Him from rescuing man from the

clutches of sin. He emptied Himself of divine glory, took the

form of a human servant or slave, and humbled Himself still

further by obediently submitting to all that God saw necessary

for man's redemption. This led Him to the shameful, agonizing

death on a cross where He bore our sins and was thereby

subjected to temporary but awful separation from His Father.

This gives us a minute glimpse of the demands that were made

upon our Lord when He was born in Bethlehem. "He voluntarily

assumed human nature. It was his own act, and by his own

consent. He clothed his divinity with humanity. He was all the

while as God, but he did not appear as God."—Ellen G. White,

Review and Herald,

Sept. 4, 1900.



THINK IT THROUGH



What can I do today to avoid taking my Saviour's sacrifice

for granted?

" 'Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon

thou standest is holy ground.' We must come to the study of this

subject [Christ's humanity] with the humility of a learner, with a

contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a

fruitful field, and will repay the searcher who digs deep for

hidden truth."—Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Com-

mentary, vol.

7, p. 905.



FURTHER STUDY



Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Commentary,

vol. 5,

pp. 1126-1131.

Eternal Son

LESSON 3



❑

Thursday

July 16

Part 5

SON OF MAN

THINK IT THROUGH

In what ways can you understand the views that Christ's

generation held concerning His origins?

"Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of

James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his

sisters here with us? And they were offended at him" (Mark

6:3).

The young Preacher and His family were well known in His

hometown of Nazareth and lower Galilee. His humanity loomed

large in their eyes, so large that they did not even guess at His

veiled divinity. Some went so far as to hint that He was an

illegitimate child (John 8:41;

The Desire of Ages,

pp. 387).

Matthew 13:55 records the townspeople's question, "Is not this

the carpenter's son?" which suggests that they believed Him to

be the son of Joseph. These reactions confirm the genuineness

of His humanity.

What reasons can you give for the choice of the term by

which Jesus most frequently referred to Himself? Matt. 8:20;

9:6; 12:8; Mark 13:26; Luke 19:10; John 3:14, etc.

The Gospels record more than 40 instances where Jesus

called Himself "the Son of man." The title had Old Testament

origins (Ps. 8:4; Eze. 2:1 and numerous times thereafter; Dan.

7:3) and had Messianic associations for some Jews. On the

Master's lips, the Messianic overtones were strong (Mark 2:28;

14:62; Luke 12:8; John 13:31, etc.). The title simultaneously

stressed His humanity and His divinity.

We need to meditate more on the dual nature of our Lord.

"We never think of Christ enough as God, never enough as

Man; the instinctive habit of our minds being always to miss of

the Divinity, and the reasoning and enforced habit to miss of the

Humanity. We are afraid to harbour in our own hearts, or to utter

in the hearing of others, any thought of our Lord, as hungering,

tired, sorrowful, having a human soul, a human will, and af-

fected by events of human life as a finite creature is; and yet one

half of the efficiency of His atonement, and the whole of the

efficiency of His example, depend on His having been this to the

full."—John Ruskin,

Modern Painters,

(New York: E. P. Dutton

and Company, n.d.), vol. 4, p. 372.

How balanced are we in our understanding of our Lord's

twofold nature? What significance does this teaching have for

our everyday living?

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 19-26.

Eternal Son

LESSON 3



❑

Friday

July 17



Part 6



What assurance do we have that Jesus truly understands



OUR



the daily struggles that face us?

SAVIOUR

"We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with

the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like

as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).

Our great High Priest is "Jesus the Son of God" (verse 14)—

Jesus, forever retaining our human nature, and the Son of God

having divine strength. He therefore has the ability, the capacity

sympathize

(a literal translation); that is, to feel with our

frailties

(both physical and spiritual weaknesses). For the sake

of emphasis, the writer expresses this first statement with a

double negative, then records the historical facts of Christ's

having been tempted just as we are while Himself remaining

free from all personal taint of sin in body and mind. At the same

time, His personal exposure to and victory over sin enables Him

to fortify us in our areas of individual need.

"By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity,

He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave

us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us

power to obey."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 24.

Which aspect of the incarnation most deeply affects us?

1 Tim. 1:15.

This text is but one of several which may be used to answer

our question. (See also Matt. 1:21; 9:13; John 3:16; Luke 19:10;

Gal. 4:4, 5.) It states very plainly that Jesus came to save us from

our sins. If, by clinging to those sins, we do not permit Him to

wean us from them, then, so far as we are concerned, His

mission has failed—but the fault is ours alone. Are we willing to

face the responsiblity for our continued sinning, not just now,

but on judgment day? That is the disturbing question posed by

the Person of Jesus. But it is more than balanced by the assur-

ance that is proffered by His priesthood (Heb. 7:25).



THINK IT THROUGH



Have I proved the Saviour of the world to be MY Saviour too?

"In His promises and warnings, Jesus means me. God so

loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that / by

believing in Him, might not perish, but have everlasting life. The

experiences related in God's word are to be

experiences.

Prayer and promise, precept and warning, are mine."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 390.



FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"Growing Up Into Christ," pp. 67-75.

LESSON 4 July 19-25

£.1Ily Spllfilit and.

Tly Trfinfity

"The Comforter, which is the Holy

Ghost, whom the Father will send in my

name, he shall teach you all things, and

bring all things to your remembrance,

whatsoever I have said unto you" (John

14:26).

This memory verse alerts us to the

need for studying the nature and

office of the Holy Spirit in relation to

the other members of the Godhead.

When doing this, we should be

aware that one week's lessons are

just not sufficient for such study and

that recently a whole quarter has

been devoted to the topic. Many

books have been written on the

subject. We, then, can here do no

more than introduce ourselves to the

Third Person and the Trinity and

leave deeper study to other

occasions and to eternity.

This week's theme centers on one

of the deepest mysteries of our

religion. We generally feel more

comfortable studying about our

heavenly Father and His Son than

about the Holy Spirit. But that

comfort may be due to our being too

easily satisfied with an extremely

limited knowledge of those whom

we worship. We need to be less

complacent. In any case, we do need

to recognize that the Spirit is no less

important than His Companions, and

that He is very intimately involved in

our spiritual life.

The doctrine of the Trinity is a

revealed rather than a natural

doctrine, for we could never

discover it for ourselves. It comes

from the divine self-disclosure in

Scripture, and even there is revealed

more in deeds rather than formed

into words. But most Bible students

will agree that it is difficult, if not

impossible, to read the New

Testament with an open spiiit

without believing in the Trinity. At

the same time, we should be sure we

hold truth for the right reasons. It is

questionable, for instance, that we

should try to support belief in the

Trinity from the Hebrew word most

commonly used for

God—Elohim.

Though the word is plural in form, it

is seldom seen by scholars as

requiring a three-in-one concept of

God. We may also try to penetrate

the mystery by means of biblical

illustrations (see John 3:8), but let us

not mistake the illustration fOr the

divine reality. Few teachings are so

productive of error as those that deal

with the Godhead. Here we should

tread delicately, with reverent care.

(See The

Ministry of Healing,

pp.

427-429.)

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Creator and Inspirer

(Gen. 1:2)

2. Spirit and Son

(Matt. 1:18)

3. Spirit and Ourselves

(John

3:3)

4. Ourselves and the Spirit

(1 Cor. 3:16)

5. Spirit and Church

(Acts 1:8)

6. Holy Trinity

(2 Cor. 13:14)

Holy Spirit and Holy Trinity

LESSON 4



❑

Sunday

July 19

Part 1

CREATOR AND

INSPIRER

THINK IT THROUGH

Who worked with Father and Son in the creation of heaven

and earth?

"The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was

upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon

the face of the waters" (Gen. 1:2).

We usually speak of the Creator, using the singular form, but

the plural more accurately reflects biblical teaching. The Father

and Son worked so closely in Creation that John could write of

Jesus: "Without him was not any thing made that was made"

(John 1:3). (Compare with Gen. 1:1.) In addition, our text reveals

participation by "the Spirit of God." Thus, from the beginning, a

Third Member of the Godhead has been involved in our world's

history.

Through which divine agency has prophecy been given?

2 Peter 1:21.

This scripture also takes us back to the beginning, for the

book of Genesis contains not only history but prophecy. During

the thousand years in which the Old Testament was being writ-

ten, the Holy Spirit was at work, communicating God's thoughts

to its writers and guiding men in God's ways. Such work could

be done only by an Eternal One, a member of the Godhead.

What other evidence does the Bible provide for the deity of

the Holy Spirit?

Answer:

Omnipotence:

Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 12:11.

Omnipres-

ence:

Ps. 139:7-11.

Omniscience:

1 Cor. 2:10, 11.

Eternity:

Heb.

9:14.

His divine personality is also deduced from the service He

performs (see John 14:26)—He has the name of Comforter,

Paraclete, or Advocate; He is sent by the Son and the Father; He

teaches believers; He recalls to the disciples all that Jesus said.

He witnesses to Christ (John 15:26); is another of the same kind

as Christ (John 14:26); He guides into all truth and forewarns of

future events (John 16:13).

In the Old Testament, God the Father is often called "the Holy

One of Israel," but after the Holy Spirit is more fully revealed in

the New Testament, the description "holy" is reserved almost

entirely for Him.

In my devotional life, am I according the Holy Spirit His full

measure of divine personality, or is He still only a vague

"influence"?

FURTHER STUDY



S.D.A. Bible Commentary,

vol. 6, pp. 670-672.

Holy Spirit and Holy Trinity

LESSON 4



❑

Monday

July 20

Pad 2

SPIRIT

AND SON

THINK IT THROUGH

How vital a role did the Holy Spirit play in the incarnation?

"The birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his

mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came

together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost" (Matt.

1:18).

Matthew, under the Spirit's guidance, shows great care in

recording the background to his Master's birth. He identifies

Mary as Christ's mother but refrains from calling Joseph His

father. The chosen pair were not yet married, yet Mary found

herself pregnant and knew that this arose from the Holy Spirit's

visitation (Luke 1:35). Joseph accepted the same explanation

and, braving public opinion, took Mary to wife and served as

human father to the Son of God (Matt 1:20-25). Here, then, is a

total divine involvement with humanity for the salvation of man-

kind. The Father sends His angel to the virgin Mary (Luke 1:26,

27), the Holy Ghost comes upon. Mary (verse 35), and Jesus

takes on human form (Luke 2:4-7). The Spirit might therefore be

called the central figure, linking heaven and earth in the drama

of our Saviour's birth.

What role did the Spirit continue to play in our Lord's earthly

life? Luke 2:25-29.

A careful reading of Luke's Gospel reveals that the author was

very sensitive to the Spirit's role in Christ's life and ministry. In

addition to His directing Simeon's recognition of the infant

Saviour, there was that of the prophetess Anna (Luke 2:36-38).

The Child's unusual growth (verses 40, 52;

The Desire of Ages,

pp. 68-74) was only possible by His unusual submission to the

Spirit's guidance. This spiritual cooperation led Jesus to the

Jordan for baptism and the Spirit's visible descent upon Him

(Luke 3:21, 22), and to His "being full of the Holy Ghost" (Luke

4:1). Immediately the Spirit led Him into the wilderness (verse 1;

compare Mark 1:12), and afterward gave Him power for His

Galilean ministry (Luke 4:14).

If the Spirit could so empower Jesus of Nazareth in His

amazing ministry, can not the same Spirit also give me daily

strength to live the Christian life?

"The Spirit furnishes the strength that sustains striving,

wrestling souls in every emergency, amidst the hatred of the

world, and the realization of their own failures and mistakes. In

sorrow and affliction, when the outlook seems dark and the

future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone,—these are

the times when, in answer to the prayer of faith, the Holy Spirit

brings comfort to the heart."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 51.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 50-58.

Holy Spirit and Holy Trinity

LESSON 4



❑

Tuesday

July 21

Part 3

SPIRIT AND

OURSELVES

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

By what means may we arrive at that point in spiritual de-

velopment from which the Child Jesus started?

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto

thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom

of God" (John 3:3).

In every true believer's heart there is the desire, a holy ambi-

tion to become like Christ. How can that dream be fulfilled? The

answer is simple and utterly uncompromising: We must be born

again. That transformation can come only by the ministry of the

Holy Spirit. "The fountain of the heart must be purified before

the streams can become pure. He who is trying to reach heaven

by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibil-

ity. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a

form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification or

improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is

a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change

can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy

Spirit."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 172.

How, then, can we "enter into the kingdom of God"? Jesus

says: "Of water and of the Spirit" (John 3:5)—and Paul states:

"By the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit"

(Titus 3:5). On the road to the kingdom, there is no way of

bypassing the Spirit!

When once we have been born again, how may we develop

Christian stature? John 16:7-14.

The Lord here speaks of the Spirit's service both to His disci-

ples and to the unbelieving world. We need to accept His

message—to welcome the Comforter, to be convicted of sin and

concerned about righteousness and judgment, to be guided

into all truth, to listen to what the Spirit says about Jesus and

future events, and to accept His revelation of Christ's glory.

"It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the

Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature.

Christ has given us His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all

hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His

own character upon His church."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 671.

Are we growing as Jesus grew—"in wisdom and stature,

and in favour with God and man"? If not, why not? Are we

allowing the Holy Spirit to develop our full spiritual potential?

Take the hymn "Our Blessed Redeemer"

(The Church Hym-

nal,

no. 214) and thoughtfully apply each stanza to our present

spiritual condition, making the last stanza our own prayer.



Holy Spirit and



Holy Trinity

LESSON 4



❑

Wednesday

July 22



Part 4



What signal honor has the Godhead placed within the reach

OURSELVES of each believer?

AND THE



SPIRIT



"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the

Spirit of God dwelleth In you?" (1 Cor. 3:16).

You are the temple of God. This is a metaphor to convey a

profound spiritual truth, namely, that God, being spirit (John

4:24), will dwell in the hearts of His contrite and humble follow-

ers (Isa. 57:15). The Son will do the same (John 14:23; Rev. 3:20).

But, so far as our finite minds can comprehend, this is done in

the Person of the Holy Spirit, who would seem to have the

particular task of representing the Godhead to the conscious-

ness of the believer. Paul can therefore say: "Your body is the

temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you" (1 Cor. 6:19). What

higher honor can come to a sinful, not-yet-perfect human be-

ing?

What provision can make my heart ready for its heavenly

Guest and worthy of being His temple? Gal. 5:22, 23.

There are some rare personalities who bring peace and order

into the homes they enter. The Spirit does more. He prepares

the heart to be His own shrine and residence. The gifts He brings

with Him will sweep out the sin and make each welcoming heart

so clean that it will begin to be an acceptable temple for His

most holy Self. We should therefore say to Him as to the Lord

Jesus:

"Come, not to find, but make this troubled heart

A dwelling worthy of Thee as Thou art."

—H. G. C. Moule,

The Church Hymnal,

no. 336.

"The faculties devoted unreservedly to God, under the guid-

ance of the divine Spirit, develop steadily and harmoniously.

Devotion and piety establish so close a relation between Jesus

and His disciples that the Christian becomes like Him. Through

the power of God, his weak, vacillating character becomes

changed to one of strength and steadfastness. He becomes a

person of sound principle, clear perception, and reliable, well-

balanced judgment. Having a connection with God, the source

of light and understanding, his views, unbiased by his own

preconceived opinions, become broader, his discernment more

penetrative and farseeing. The knowledge of God, the under-

standing of His revealed will, as far as human minds can grasp it,

will, when received into the character, make efficient men."—

Counsels to Teachers,

pp. 37, 38.



THINK IT THROUGH



How may I encourage the growth of the fruit of the Spirit in

my life?



FURTHER STUDY



Gospel Workers,

pp. 284-289.

Holy Spirit and Holy Trinity

LESSON 4



❑

Thursday

July 23

Part 5

SPIRIT AND

CHURCH

Let the imagination dwell on the manner in which Christ's

disciples received power to witness for Him.

"Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come

upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in

Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the

uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

From a human point of view the Redeemer took a terrible risk

when He returned to heaven after three and one half years of

earthly ministry. How could His cause prosper when left in the

hands of 11 all-too-human men? The assuring answer lay in two

potent realities. First, He had personally trained those

disciples—and that fact must never be ignored. Second, He was

leaving an adequate legacy in the promised presence of His

Spirit. "Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days

hence" (Acts 1:5). (See also Luke 24:49.) And now, immediately

prior to His ascension, He states the fact: "Ye shall receive

power." History confirms that the power came at Pentecost

(Acts 2:4, 16-21). This explains how such a group could set the

church in motion throughout the then-known world. The exis-

tence of the Christian church became one of the greatest evi-

dences of the Holy Spirit's reality.

After the apostles had received power from on high, who

else shared in the heavenly gift? Acts 4:31; 5:32; 6:3.

If the Spirit had been restricted to the original apostles, His

ministry would have ceased with their deaths. But such was not

the divine plan. "The church throughout Judea, Galilee and

Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and

encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the

fear of the Lord" (Acts 9:31, NIV).



THINK IT THROUGH



How may the church today accomplish its worldwide mis-

sion?

Answer: By fulfilling similar conditions to those that brought

power to the early church, namely, prayerful, unselfish unity

(Acts 1:14; 2:1, 41-47; 4:31-35).

"The promise of the Holy Spirit is not limited to any age or to

any race. Christ declared that the divine influence of His Spirit

was to be with His followers unto the end. From the Day of

Pentecost to the present time, the Comforter has been sent to all

who have yielded themselves fully to the Lord and to His service.

... The more closely believers have walked with God, the more

clearly and powerfully have they testified of their Redeemer's

love and of His saving grace."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 49.



FURTHER STUDY



The Acts of the Apostles,

pp. 49-56.

Holy Spirit and Holy Trinity

LESSON 4



❑

Friday

July 24

Part 6



In the beautiful benediction penned to the Corinthian

HOLY church, which central Christian doctrine did Paul reveal?

TRINITY

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,

and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen"

(2 Cor. 13:14).

This is not a doctrinal but a devotional statement, yet it reveals

one of the most fundamental of all Christian doctrines. It gives,

with inspired brevity, a firm basis for belief in the threefold

nature of the Godhead, the Trinity. (Compare Christ's own re-

ference to the divine Three in Matthew 28:19.) It does not at-

tempt to explain it. Rather, it is a distillation of thoughtful,

reverent Christian contemplation of what has been disclosed

concerning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, especially in the light

of the Son's incarnation. As has been so rightly stated: "The

doctrine of the Trinity is not so much heard as overheard in the

statements of

Scripture."—International Standard Bible Encyc-

lopedia

(Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing

Co., 1930), p. 3012.

Or, to express it another way: "What becomes patent in the

New Testament is latent in the Old."

Man's inability to explain the nature of the Trinity should

surprise no one—it should rather be expected. The object of

man's worship, while clear enough to command love and loy-

alty, should soar far beyond human understanding. Here, if

anywhere, the statement attributed to St. Anselm applies: "I do

not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order

to understand."

In humble awareness of our inability to fathom the nature of

the God whom we worship, we should be very careful in our

thinking to safeguard the equality and unity of each living Per-

son of the Trinity with the other Two. To use the definition of

fourth-century Greek theologians, we should confess that "the

Godhead of the Father, of the Son, of the Holy Ghost, is all one:

the Glory Equal, the Majesty eternal."—J. S. Whale,

Christian

Doctrine

(Fontana Books, 1941), p. 111.

The difficulties we meet in thinking of the Trinity should not

lead us to reject the doctrine or refuse to meditate upon it. "If it

were possible for us to attain to a full understanding of God and

His word, there would be for us no further discovery of truth, no

greater knowledge, no further development. God would cease

to be supreme, and man would cease to advance."—Education,

p. 172.

THINK IT THROUGH

"What doth it avail thee to discourse profoundly of the Trin-

ity, if thou be void of humility and art thereby displeasing the

Trinity?"—Thomas a Kempis, The

Imitation

Christ

(Hacken-

sack, N.J.: Wehman Brothers), bk. 1, ch. 1:2.

FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 169-172.

LESSON 5 July 26 to August 1

ereator and Sustainer

"Thou, even thou, art Lord alone;

thou hast made heaven, the heaven of

heavens, with all their host, the earth,

and all things that are therein, the seas,

and all that is therein, and thou

preservest them all; and the host of

heaven worshippeth thee" (Neh. 9:6).

Most human beings ask questions

of themselves and others concerning

origins—origin of self, of others, of

animals, of vegetation, of stars, of

our universe and beyond. Out of the

many suggested answers, there

emerge two principal replies—we,

and the world around us, originated

either by accident or by design.

Moral considerations lead us to opt

for design, and that choice leads us

to God.

Once we accept that God is, the

thought of creation seems to follow.

Creation would seem to be a natural

activity of Deity; it may even be said

to be inevitable. We may also find

room in our understanding for God's

continuing creativity. In all such

thoughts, however, let us remember

our human limitations in the light of

God's infinite nature. (See Isa. 55:

8, 9.)

The doctrine of creation is basic to

the whole structure of our religion,

and proclaims: "In the beginning,

God."

This lesson, then, is biblically

based. Details of true science are left

to the scientists and to other

quarterlies.

By the very nature of the

operation, no earth-bound observer

could

see

creation in action. No

matter how near to the time of

Creation he might approach, it

would all be over before he himself

was made. There are two possible

keys to the question of origin—(1)

deduction

from what man sees

around him in the physical world and

(2)

faith

based on his religious

experience with a self-revealing God

whom he has come to know as his

Lord and Saviour. The first has all the

limitations of human knowledge and

reasoning. Faith, however, can

always take him one step farther back

than the keenest and most believable

of his physical deductions and show

him, by special revelation, the

Creator at work before the first man

was formed.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Faith and Creation

(Heb. 11:3)

The Creation Process

(Isa. 45:18)

The Creation of Man—I

(Gen. 1:26)

The. Creation of Man—II

(Isa. 43:6, 7)

The Sustainer

(Col. 1:17)

The Re-creator

(Isa. 65:17)

Creator and Sustainer

LESSON 5



❑

Sunday

July 26

Part 1

FAITH AND

CREATION

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

The limitations of reason in perceiving the way in which our

universe was created are indicated by Scripture.

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed

by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not

made of things which do appear" (Heb. 11:3).

The writer of Hebrews is not suggesting that we, in our

present state, can

understand

the process of creation, but

rather that faith enables our minds to perceive (a more accurate

translation) how our universe owes its origins to God. Under-

standing will come only in the hereafter. Until then, faith ena-

bles us to accept the mind-staggering concept that our physical

universe came into existence and continues to be knit together

by a word or saying of God. (See Ps. 33:6, 9.) This faith, estab-

lished in our own Christian experience, is based on meditation

and observation subjected to revelation. It recognizes that a

Mind or Power—God—must have designed all creation. The

word rendered as "worlds" is literally translated as "ages," but

mention of "things which are seen" in contrast to "things which

do appear" clearly refers to visible creation rather than to vague

periods of time.

Adventists understand the Bible to teach that "God was not

indebted to preexisting matter. By His mighty power God called

matter into being, and then by that same power imparted life to

creatures formed from it. Prior to the dawn of the so-called

Atomic Age, it was one of the prime tenets of science that matter

is eternal, that it can neither be created nor destroyed. But now

scientists declare that matter and energy are interchangeable.

Why, then, should it be thought strange that an almighty God

can create matter that did not previously exist?"—S.D.A.

Bible

Commentary, vol.

7, p. 472.

With what particular language does Jeremiah summarize

the creative acts that formed our universe? Jer. 10:12.

In concise language the prophet spells out the initial creative

process: The living God (Jer. 10:10) made the earth by His

power, set up the habitable globe by His wisdom, and stretched

or unfolded the heavens by His skillfulness. Verses 12 through

16 appear again in chapter 51:15-19. They express a frequent

theme in the writings of the prophets—God's creative acts set

Him apart from all false gods. The New Testament makes an

even greater claim in Colossians 1:16, 17. These concepts can-

not fit into an evolutionary pattern!

Is my faith strong enough to accept all that might be in-

cluded in God's creatorship? If not, how can I strengthen it?

Testimonies,

vol. 8, pp. 255-262.

Creator and Sustainer

LESSON 5



❑

Monday

July 27



Part 2



On which acts that only God could perform is the lordship of



THE



God based?

CREATION



PROCESS



"Thus says the Lord, the creator of the heavens, he who is

God, who made the earth and fashioned it and himself fixed it

fast, who created it no empty void, but made it for a place to

dwell in: I am the Lord, there is no other" (Isa. 45:18, NEB).

any other than God were the creator of heaven and earth,

that being would be the lord of mankind, and to him would man

direct his worship. But the God revealed in the Bible is the only

One who can claim such an office. There is none other who can

lay claim to His creatorship. "The duty to worship God is based

upon the fact that He is the Creator and that to Him all other

beings owe their existence. And wherever, in the Bible, His

claim to reverence and worship, above the gods of the heathen,

is presented, there is cited the evidence of His creative

power."—The

Great Controversy,

pp. 436, 437.

Where does Scripture leave room, if at all, for an evolution-

ary theory of origins? Gen. 1:1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29; Ex.

20:11.

The Bible offers no hospitality to evolutionary theories. It is

unashamedly creationist. Creationism is woven into the very

warp and woof of the Book. It offers only one explanation for the

origin of our earth and all that lives and grows upon it—God's

creative acts. Nevertheless, we must be careful not to harm the

Bible's reputation for truthfulness by making claims for it that

are not really in it. Sometimes it is suggested that the use of the

Hebrew verb

bara'

(to create) in Genesis 1:1 supports the teach-

ing that "in the beginning God created the heaven and the

earth" out of nothing. It has to be remembered, however, that

the same verb

bara'

is also used in Genesis 1:27: "God created

man in his own image ... ; male and female created he them."

We know from Genesis 2:7 that the Lord God used existing

material when He "formed man of the dust of the ground," and

from Genesis 2:22 we learn that Eve was then formed from the

already-existing Adam. We have not been called to proclaim as

biblical what may go beyond what the Bible teaches about this.

On the other hand, we do well to remember that any material the

Creator might have used in completing His work in Creation

week was itself created by Him.

If we insist that God

needed

six days for Creation, we would

be making Him the prisoner of time, somewhat as we are. It

would be more correct to think of His

choosing

to use six days to

give His creatures their placement in time, to provide the pattern

of the seven-day week for governing their relation to time, and

to give them the weekly blessing of the Sabbath.



FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 111-116.

4-k L. 3-81

Creator and Sustainer

LESSON 5



❑

Tuesday

July 28



Part 3



What lessons do you gather from the nature of God's



THE



climactic work on the sixth day of Creation?

CREATION



OF MAN—I



"God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:

and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over

the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,

and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth"

(Gen. 1:26).

The scene was set (verses 1-25), but from our viewpoint, it

lacked an important element—those morally responsible be-

ings for whose primary benefit all the beauty had been pro-

duced by the Creator's word. The Creation story seems to

suggest this. Earlier creative acts had followed a simple "And

God said" (for example, verses 3, 6, 9), but prior to the creation

of man there is a suggestion of taking counsel within the

Godhead, as indicated by the phrase "Let us make" (verse 26).

In verse 27 the making of man and woman is recorded, and they

are then asked to care for the earth (verse 28). In this fuller

treatment, the crowning act of Creation is recognized. "In the

creation of man was manifest the agency of a personal God.

When God had made man in His image, the human form was

perfect in all its arrangements, but it was without life. Then a

personal, self-existing God breathed into that form the breath of

life, and man became a living, intelligent being."—The

Ministry

of Healing,

p. 415.

As we consider the miracle of how human beings are made,

how should it make us feel? Ps. 100:3, 4.

Every one of us carries around in his or her body a marvelous

laboratory in which to study the most wonderful of all our

Maker's creative works. We are free to conduct that study at any

hour of the day. The simple act of breathing, the spontaneous

movement of the eye, of hand, of foot—these are miracles be-

yond our understanding. They should lead us to glorify our

Creator. (See Ps. 139:14.)

"The mechanism of the human body cannot be fully under-

stood; it presents mysteries that baffle the most intelligent. It is

not as the result of a mechanism, which, once set in motion,

continues its work, that the pulse beats and breath follows

breath. In God we live and move and have our being. The

beating heart, the throbbing pulse, every nerve and muscle in

the living organism, is kept in order and activity by the power of

an ever-present God."—The

Ministry of Healing,

p. 417.

What do my family, my friends, my fellow citizens see of the

image of God in me?

Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 44-51.

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

Creator and Sustainer

LESSON 5



❑

Wednesday

July 29



Part 4



What reason does the Lord Himself give for having created



THE



human beings?

CREATION



OF MAN—II



"Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of

the earth; even every one that is called by my name: for I have

created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made

him" (Isa. 43:6, 7).

Those who are called by God's name, that is, those who are

members of His worldwide family, have been created to add to

His glory. At first thought, this might sound as though God were

pleasing Himself, as if He were a praise-hungry tycoon who has

made a world full of puppets to bring Him unending flattery.

Fortunately, our God is utterly unlike that. In one sense, He does

not

need

our praise. Unnumbered multitudes of sinless beings

are constantly worshiping Him out of grateful hearts, and our

tokens of praise can add but little to what He is already receiv-

ing.

Yet, our text clearly states that the Lord created (bare', again)

His sons and daughters for His glory. A little thought enables us

to accept that without question, for we see the divine purpose

shining above the sin that overshadows the human race. The

original plan would have filled our world with a perfect people

whose sinless lives would have added to the Creator's glory.

When sin shattered that prospect, unselfish love proved itself

strong enough to redeem the fallen, to re:create them in the

divine image, and to convince the watching universe that their

Sovereign does all things well.

Note how Paul enlarges on this overview of the outworking

of the plan of salvation. Eph. 1:5, 6. (See also verses 12, 14.)

Here the apostle refers to the glory that comes to God as

redeemed men and women are adopted into His family by virtue

of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. "As a result of the

revelation of God's grace in the adoption, the universe will gain

a true conception of the character and purposes of God and

respond with expressions of praise. One of the purposes of the

plan of salvation is the vindication of the character of God

before the universe (see PP 68; cf. DA 625, 626; Eph. 3:10,

11)."—S.D.A. Bible Commentary,

vol. 6, p. 999.

The Jerusalem Bible has a very attractive translation of Ephe-

sians 2:10: "We are God's work of art, created in Christ Jesus to

live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live

it."



THINK IT THROUGH



In what areas is my daily life bringing glory to my Re-

deemer?



FURTHER STUDY



Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

"The Beatitudes"

(Matt. 5:13, 14), pp. 35-44.

Creator and Sustainer

LESSON 5



❑

Thursd

July 30



Part 5



In contrast to scientific theories, how does the Bible ac-



THE



count for the way all things keep on working in the natural

SUSTAINER world?

"He is before all things, and by him all things consist" (Col.

1:17).

In verse 16 Paul has affirmed Christ's creatorship—all things

were created by Him or through Him—and now in verse 17 he

looks both before and after Creation. The Son, he declares,

existed before all things. Many commentators see in the phrase

"he is" a reference to the Eternal's self-explanation, the "I AM"

of Exodus 3:14 (see John 8:58), and to His creatorship. The

forward look depends on the word translated "consist" which

can also be rendered "cohere" or "hold together." (See also

Heb. 1:3, NEB: He "sustains the universe by His word of

power.") Nature is not a machine that keeps itself running and

tuned. "God is constantly employed in upholding and using as

His servants the things that He has made. He works through the

laws of nature, using them as His instruments. They are not

self-acting. Nature in her work testifies of the intelligent

presence and active agency of a Being who moves in all things

according to His will."—The

Ministry of Healing,

p. 416.

How does Paul apply the same truth to the upholding of

mankind? Acts 17:25, 28.

THINK IT THROUGH

Man loves to do things his way. He likes to believe that he is

self-contained and self-sustaining, that he needs no external

power to keep him going. Yet, of himself, he has not solved the

mystery of his beginning or of his end. In spite of all that he has

done to prolong his life—and life expectancy for men in the

United States has risen from 47 years in 1905 to 69.3 years in

1977—he has not discovered how to live forever. Lack of breath

still spells death. Paul's thought, therefore, rings true: God

giveth to all men life, and breath, and all things needful for life

(Acts 17:25). It is still in God alone that we live, have power to

move, and continue to exist (verse 28). "It is not because the

mechanism that has once been set in motion continues to act by

its own inherent energy that the pulse beats and breath follows

breath; but every breath, every pulsation of the heart, is an

evidence of the all-pervading care of Him in whom 'we live, and

move, and have our being.'

"—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 115.

Remind yourself of modern man's dependence on electric-

ity, and the chaos that comes when such power fails. Apply

such thoughts to man's careless but real dependence upon

God.

FURTHER STUDY



Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Commentary,

vol. 6,

pp. 1067, 1068.

Creator and Sustainer

LESSON 5



❑

Friday

July 31



Part 6



In the light of the damage done by sin to His creation, what



THE



decision has the Creator reached?

RE-CREATOR

"Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the

former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind" (Isa.

65:17).

Do our minds hesitate before the prospect of a new creation?

They should not. Our religion is founded on miracles—

Creation, the virgin birth, the resurrection, the ascension, the

new birth. All are supernatural occurrences, above the control

and comprehension of man. The new creation, the making of

new heavens and a new earth, presents no difficulty to our

omnipotent God. The only problem lies with ourselves—shall

we permit Him to remake us?

Only the Father and His two Eternal Companions know the

measure of sorrow caused by the Fall. Only They can know the

joy with which They anticipate the restoration of all things by

re-creation. What unselfish pleasure will be Theirs as They

"make all things new" (Rev. 21:5). What satisfaction in knowing

that no sin will ever mar the perfection of the new creation!

What corresponding change must take place in us if we are

to enjoy the new heavens and new earth? 2 Cor. 5:17.

It would be a disaster if unregenerate men and women were

settled in the new earth. Their sin would soon ruin the sinless

beauty of the new creation. Those who are to inherit the new

Eden must be in harmony with their surroundings, and this

demands that they be sinless too. This requires that they be

born again (John 3:3, 5, 7), that they be new creatures. It re-

quires that they be remade

Christ, living their new lives

Christ, and thus being fitted for sinless living throughout eter-

nity. It is not difficult to agree to this—for others. The harder part

is to accept it for ourselves. Hard though it may be, however,

that is the goal of Sabbath School lesson study!

"The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious so-

cial life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all

ages who have washed their robes and made them white in the

blood of the Lamb, the sacred ties that bind together 'the whole

family in heaven and earth' (Ephesians 3:15)—these help to

constitute the happiness of the redeemed."—The

Great Con-

troversy,

p. 677.



THINK IT THROUGH



What relation is there between Creation and re-creation? Is

my belief in both equally strong? Am I ready to face a new

heaven and a new earth?



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 674-678.

LESSON 6 August 2-8

6 Tie Law' of Lor

"This is the covenant that I will make

with the house of Israel after those

days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws

into their mind, and write them in their

hearts: and I will be to them a God, and

they shall be to me a people" (Heb.

8:10).

This memory verse needs hiding in

each Christian's heart. It shows that a

believer's salvation and obedience

come not from a keeping of

commandments to earn salvation,

but as a result of God's saving grace

and power working in the mind of

God's child. It is God who makes the

covenant; He puts His laws in the

mind, and He writes them upon the

heart. The Lord offers Himself as our

God and accepts us as His people.

If God wants to write His laws in

our minds, what can be wrong in

cheerfully observing those laws?

Nothing! Yet, mention of law,

especially the Ten Commandment

law, arouses much opposition in

many minds, for they equate law

keeping with salvation by works.

They agree that it is wrong to

blaspheme, to kill, to commit

adultery, to steal, and would hesitate

to accuse those who do not commit

these sins of being legalists. Yet,

when observance of the fourth

commandment is advocated, big

theological guns are turned against

the Decalogue and those who

recommend its precepts.

These considerations call for a

fresh look at the law of the Lord. We

need to perceive its kind

purpose—to guide us into life, not to

condemn us to death. At the same

time, its condemnation of our sins

leads us to repentance. We need to

grasp its scope—it covers every part

of our lives. We need to see its

spiritual nature, its concern with the

inner thoughts that produce outward

acts.

For our part, we should see

obedience as love's response to

divine concern.

"If

ye love me," you

will "keep my commandments." As

Meister Eckhart, the

fourteenth-century mystic, is

reputed to have observed: "Love

God, and do as you please, say the

Free Spirits. Yes, but as long as you

like anything contrary to God's will,

you do not love Him."

Our reference to law should not be

restricted to God's Ten Words. Both

the Old and the New Testament are

filled with counsel, even coamands,

that are not directly related to the

Decalogue. This helps us to view the

law as an expression of God's loving

will for us and not as a series of

prohibitions that always run counter

to our inborn inclinations.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

The Creator and Law

(Ps. 45:6)

Man and God's Law

(Ps. 19:7, 8)

Primacy of God

(Ex. 20:3)

Reverence for God

(Ex. 20:4, 5)

Remember the Sabbath

(Ex. 20:8)

Sabbath Observance

(Isa. 58:13, 14)



The Law of the



Lord-I

LESSON 6



❑

Sunday

August 2



Part 1



What is the significance of the words of the psalmist as he



THE



describes the nature of God's kingdom?

CREATOR



AND LAW



"Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy

kingdom is a right sceptre" (Ps. 45:6).

The fact that God is eternal has great meaning for the Chris-

tian. It gives God an everlasting kingdom and establishes the

eternal rightness of its laws. Its host of heavenly inhabitants

freely observe their Creator's commands, delighting to do His

all-wise will and willingly giving Him their service. This past

eternity provides a firm foundation for the creation of our world

and its inhabitants. If it had made the right choice, mankind

could have inherited the timeless experience of the heavenly

host and have joined other obedient worlds in serving their

Maker. Alas, the human race chose and still chooses to reject

that option, preferring to pit its preferences against the wisdom

of eternal ages.

THINK IT THROUGH

What qualities are seen in the Lord's words and in His

commands? Ps. 111:7, 8.

The Jerusalem Bible's rendering of these verses is refreshing:

"All that he does is done in faithfulness and justice, in all his

ways his precepts are dependable, ordained to last for ever and

ever, framed in faithfulness and integrity." What a God! How

foolish to turn Him away! How reasonable to heed His com-

mands!

"When the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God,

the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern

something of the depth and sacredness of God's holy law, the

foundation of His government in heaven and on earth. The

tight, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,'

illumines the secret chambers of the soul, and the hidden things

of darkness are made manifest.... Conviction takes hold upon

the mind and heart. The sinner has a sense of the righteousness

of Jehovah and feels the terror of appearing, in his own guilt and

uncleanness, before the Searcher of hearts. He sees the love of

God, the beauty of holiness, the joy of purity; he longs to be

cleansed and to be restored to communion with Heaven."—

Steps to Christ,

p. 24.

Note how the psalmist stresses the everlasting nature of

God's righteousness and the reliability of His law. Ps. 119:142.

What weight in our thinking do we give to the age-long

experience of

the

Godhead and the angels in knowing what is

best for human beings?

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 33, 34, 52.

The Law of the Lord-I

LESSON 6



❑

Monday

August 3

Part 2



What flawless qualities characterize the law of the Lord, and

MAN AND what will the law accomplish for those who follow its guid-

GOD'S LAW ance?

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the

testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The

statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the com-

mandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes" (Ps.

19:7, 8).

In this passage, four different Hebrew words are used to

speak of the guidance given by the Lord to His children. The

first,

torah,

has the basic meaning of "direction," developing

into "teaching," "instruction," "doctrine." In the Old Testa-

ment it is translated "law" 216 times. It does not specifically

refer to the Decalogue; rather, it is a term signifying all the

revealed will of God or any part of it. The second word,

'eduth,

generally translated "testimony"; but it also has the sense of

"witness." The third,

piqqudim,

is only here translated "sta-

tutes." Throughout Psalm 119 it is uniformly rendered "pre-

cepts." The fourth,

miswah,

is the usual word for "command-

ment" and is so used 173 times in the Old Testament, mostly in

the plural form.

These four words, then, embrace the Lord's total instruction

to His children in Old Testament times. They include the Ten

Commandments but are not restricted to them. God's various

forms of instruction to His people are here said to be "perfect,"

"sure," "right" and "pure." In turn, they convert or revive the

soul, educate the simple believer, bring joy to the heart, and give

moral clear-sightedness. They have intensely spiritual func-

tions, helping their observers to live according to God's direc-

tives.

What is the larger spiritual setting or experience, of which

commandment keeping is a basic part? Deut. 10:12.

The Lord never intended that commandment keeping should

produce legalism or the error of salvation by works. He has

always urged that obedience to His precepts be the outcome of

godly fear or reverence and wholehearted love. (See Deut. 6:4,

5, 25; 11:1; Matt. 22:35-40.) Any other motivation is misleading,

unacceptable to God and useless to man.

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

What breadth and depth do we see in "the law of the Lord"?

Do we grasp that it can only be fulfilled by a love-based

obedience that goes deeper than a surface observance of its

teachings?

Read all of Psalm 119. This can be done in about 25 minutes.

Note its broad portrayal of God's law, testimonies, statutes,

commandments, and precepts. How do our attitudes compare?

The Law of the Lord—I

LESSON 6



❑

Tuesday

August 4

Part 3

PRIMACY

OF GOD

THINK IT THROUGH

Which is the first commandment?

"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Ex. 20:3).

This commandment was given against the background of

worldwide idolatry at the time of the Exodus—but it has always

been first in the heavenly statute book, and there has never been

a time when it was not valid. On the surface it may seem to do no

more than make the Lord first among all the other gods whose

worship flourished in the Middle East. But Israel came to know

that when the Lord is given first place in worship, the falsity, the

worthlessness of all other deities is revealed. This revelation

made Israel monotheistic—worshipers of one God—and the

nation recognized that "the Lord our God is one Lord" (Deut.

6:4).

God's insistence on His being above all is in no way self-

centered. Since the Lord is God, He can have no one above Him.

(See Isa. 44:6; Ps. 97:9.) He is first by nature and would be

denying that nature if He stepped aside for any competitor

whatsoever—and there is a rabble of competitors, though not

one can hold a candle to our God!

"Jehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One, Himself

the Source and Sustainer of all, is alone entitled to supreme

reverence and worship. Man is forbidden to give to any other

object the first place in his affections or his service. Whatever

we cherish that tends to lessen our love for God or to interfere

with the service due Him, of that do we make a god."—

Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 305.

Note how the One who knows God best quoted an enlarge-

ment on the first commandment. Luke 4:8.

In rejecting Satan's invitation to worship him, Jesus uses a

free rendering of Deuteronomy 6:13 based on the Greek ver-

sion. This expands the principle at the heart of the first com-

mandment and introduces the subjects of worship and service.

These flow naturally from the thought of God's uniqueness, His

supremacy—these qualities exalt Him above all other so-called

gods and make Him alone worthy of the highest adoration man

can offer.

Consider the four faculties (listed in Luke 10:27) through

which we may express our love for God. Recall the formal

giving of the Decalogue—on release from Egyptian slavery

(Ex. 20:2)—and know that even then gratitude was to be the

main motivation behind commandment keeping. That

gratitude, which leads to love, provides the foundation on

which true worship is built.

FURTHER STUDY



Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, "The

Spirituality of the

Law," pp. 73-78.

The Law of the Lord-I

LESSON 6



❑

Wednesday

August 5

Part 4

REVERENCE

FOR GOD

What is at the heart of the second commandment?

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.... Thou

shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them" (Ex. 20:

4, 5).

After weary centuries of Egyptian slavery, Israel was well

versed in idolatry. Now its people were on their way to the

Promised Land, where heathen peoples were engaging in cruel

and licentious worship of deities that did not exist anyway. They

needed to keep themselves separate from all such idolatry. To

aid their detachment, there came this command, which also

prohibited their making even an image of the true God!

In prosperous lands, the most appealing idol is probably

Mammon, worshiped under many different forms, but always

placing material prosperity above self-forgetful dedication to

God. We may thus bow down to cars, TV and stereo sets,

houses, family demands, creature comforts—the list is endless.

In less favored lands, the daily struggle for existence may claim

first attention. Each Sabbath School member must search his

own life and say what we so often sing:

"The dearest idol I have known,

Whate'er that idol be,

Help me to tear it from Thy throne,

And worship only Thee."

—William Cowper,

The Church Hymnal,

no. 383.

In what way may we show our reverence for the Lord our

God? Ex. 20:7.

This third commandment is expressed negatively, but its ob-

servance is best promoted by such a profound reverence for the

name and character of our Maker that we shall naturally honor

Him and have no urge to refer carelessly to Him or to blaspheme

His holy name.

"This commandment not only prohibits false oaths and

common swearing, but it forbids us to use the name of God in a

light or careless manner, without regard to its awful signifi-

cance. By the thoughtless mention of God in common conver-

sation, by appeals to Him in trivial matters, and by the frequent

and thoughtless repetition of His name, we dishonor Him."—

Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 306, 307.



THINK IT THROUGH



Is there anything in my life that has priority over the Lord my

God? What honor or what shame does my life bring on the

Lord's name?



FURTHER STUDY



Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

"The Spirituality of the

Law" (Matt. 5:34), pp. 66-69.

The Law of the Lord—I

LESSON 6



❑

Thursday

August 6

Part 5



What concluding guidance does the first table of the Deca-

REMEMBER logue give to maintain man's relationship to his God?

THE SABBATH

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Ex. 20:8).

Remember.

It is not possible to remember that which one has

never known. Adam and Eve remembered their first Sabbath.

(See

Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 48.) It was their first complete

24-hour day, the first Sabbath ever observed, and memories of

its hallowed significance were shared with their descendants.

The fourth commandment reveals that the Israelites knew of the

Sabbath before they reached Sinai (see Ex. 16:22-30), but it

must have been exceedingly difficult to remember it in Egypt.

Keep it holy.

The same Hebrew verb,

quadesh,

is used at the

close of the commandment for the Lord's own act in hallowing

the Sabbath, even as it is in Genesis 2:3 where the English

translation speaks of

sanctifying.

Mankind, then, is given the

same privilege as God Himself exercised at the close of Crea-

tion.

The commandment places Sabbath observance on the same

level with the first three precepts, as part of man's acknowl-

edgement of God's lordship. The command has never been

revoked.

In what way is man to emulate his Creator in Sabbath ob-

servance? Ex. 20:9-11.

Six days shalt thou labour.

Without adding an eleventh com-

mandment, there is a sense in which this places a moral obliga-

tion upon all God-fearers to work diligently during the week,

even as did the Lord during the six days of Creation. "God saw

that a Sabbath was essential for man, even in Paradise. He

needed to lay aside his own interests and pursuits for one day of

the seven, that he might more fully contemplate the works of

God and meditate upon His power and goodness. He needed a

Sabbath to remind him more vividly of God and to awaken

gratitude because all that he enjoyed and possessed came from

the beneficent hand of the

Creator."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 48.

In it thou shalt not do any work.

This prohibits performance of

secular work on Sabbath—Saturday, the seventh day—and

should alert us to guard the holy hours so that secular occupa-

tions and interests do not break into the Sabbath. We are also

morally obligated to avoid causing others to work unnecessarily

on the sacred day. (See Deut. 5:14.)

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

Am I faithful in observing the spirit as well as the letter

concerning Sabbath observance? In what areas do I need to

raise my standards?

Testimonies,

vol. 2, pp. 582-585.



The Law of the



Lord—I

LESSON 6



❑

Friday

August 7



Part



"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy

SABBATH pleasure on my holy day; ... then shalt thou delight thyself in

OBSERVANCE the Lord" (Isa. 58:13, 14).

These verses reveal that standards of Sabbath keeping had

fallen to very low levels in Isaiah's day (see ch. 56:2), and the

prophet was calling for reform. We can rightly apply his mes-

sage to our own Seventh-day Adventist situation and make a

similar two-edged approach—negative and positive—to grap-

ple with the problem. We must turn away from Sabbath desecra-

tion, must refrain from doing our own pleasure on God's holy

day, not "clutching at business" (Variorum), "not speaking idle

words" (NIV). On the contrary, we should "call the sabbath

'Delightful' " (Jerusalem Bible), "a day of joy," "a day to be

honoured"—"then you shall find your joy in the Lord" (verse 14,

NEB). Do not these phrases arouse in us a longing for the deeply

spiritual delights that should be ours every Sabbath?

"When the Sabbath commences, we should place a'guard

upon ourselves, upon our acts and our words, lest we rob God

by appropriating to our own use that time which is strictly the

Lord's. We should not do ourselves, nor suffer our children to

do, any manner of our own work for a livelihood, or anything

which could have been done on the six working days. Friday is

the day of preparation. Time can then be devoted to making the

necessary preparation for the Sabbath and to thinking and

conversing about it. Nothing which will in the sight of Heaven be

regarded as a violation of the holy Sabbath should be left unsaid

or undone, to be said or done upon the Sabbath. God requires

not only that we refrain from physical labor upon the Sabbath,

but that the mind be disciplined to dwell upon sacred

themes."—Testimonies,

vol. 2, pp. 702, 703.

Define Christ's attitude toward the Sabbath. Luke 4:16;

Mark 2:23-28; 3:1-5.

He who had given the seventh-day Sabbath to mankind wel-

comed the weekly day of rest and of worship. The Sabbath

found Him in the synagogue, joining His neighbors in prayer,

praise, and Scripture study. In addition, He widened contempo-

rary ideas on rightful Sabbath observance, leading His disciples

to see that "it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days." If the

Master were physically present with us today, He would un-

doubtedly give the same example and teach the same lessons.



THINK IT THROUGH



To what degree are we following our Lord's example in the

right use of each Sabbath day?



FURTHER STUDY



Education,

pp. 250-252;

The Desire of Ages,

pp. 281-289.

LESSON 7 August 9-15

7 Tile kw

(RI

olle

Lord-1111

"If ye love me, keep my

commandments" (john 14:15).

"If ye keep my commandments, ye

shall abide in my love; even as I have

kept my Father's commandments, and

abide in his love" (John 15:10).

Here is the Master's three-part

program for us: (1) Love Me, keep

My commandments; (2) If we do this,

we shall abide in His love; (3) We

shall follow His example. Loving

obedience binds Father, Son, and

Christians closely together.

What a different complexion that

puts on the much-maligned doctrine

of obedience! It leaves no room for

slavery, no trace of legalism, no hint

of salvation by works. It is salvation

by love—by the mutual love of Father

and Son, and Theirs for us, and ours

for Them. It is the fruit of faith that

works by love. Here is the beautiful

secret of commandment keeping.

Who can quarrel with it? Who can

withhold obedience on such a basis?

This week's study of the six

remaining commandments,

numbers five to ten, will give the

opportunity to gauge the reality of

our love for Christ. Its measure will

be seen in the honor we give our

parents, in our respect for human

life, in loving faithfulness to marriage

vows, in respect for our neighbor s

property, in our love for truth and

rejection of falsehood, in our refusal

to covet another's possessions. And

love will lead us beyond the formal

observance of the Ten

Commandments: it will make us

sensitive and responsive to all our

Lord's biddings. We shall "echo His

own words: "1 delight to do thy will,

0 my God" (Ps. 40:8). This will apply

to His daily counsel and requests as

well as to the broad principles

enshrined in the Ten Words. We

shall want to know and to do His total

will. When we reach that stage, we

shall be truly emulating our Master.

Let us try this week to make each

day's study very practical, applying

each day's precept to our own lives.

Unless we do this, the Decalogue will

remain what it has so often been—a

list of limiting rules that hive little if

any impact on us and our neighbors.

Let us look at each command and see

it as heavenly guidance to save us

from sin and to bring us into

complete harmony with the will of

our all-wise heavenly Father.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Honor to Parents

(Ex. 20:12)

Respect for Life

(Ex. 20:13)

Sacredness of Marriage

(Ex. 20:14)

Total Honesty

(Ex. 20:15)

Truth Tellers

(Ex. 20:16)

True Contentment

(Ex. 20:17)



The Law of the



Lord-II

LESSON 7



❑

Sunday

August 9



Part 1



"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be

HONOR TO long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Ex.

PARENTS 20:12).

This and the fourth commandment are the only two that are

stated positively; the others are cast in a negative mold. The fifth

heads the second table of law, and is the only commandment

that specifically promises a blessing through its fulfillment,

though the second implies its observers will receive mercy (Ex.

20:6).

The injunction in this fifth precept is addressed to children

regardless of age. "It is binding upon childhood and youth,

upon the middle-aged and the aged. There is no period in life

when children are excused from honoring their parents. This

solemn obligation is binding upon every son and daughter, and

is one of the conditions to their prolonging their lives upon the

land which the Lord will give the faithful."—Testimonies, vol. 2,

p. 80.

To honor one's parents involves more than formal respect. It

includes expressing appreciation for all that our parents have

done for us through earlier years, for warm love shown in prac-

tical care. It calls for showing concern for their welfare and

gratitude for the ideals they have upheld.

In Deuteronomy 5:16 Moses enlarged on the promise, adding:

"That it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy

God giveth thee." The primary reference was to life in Palestine,

but the assurance can also apply to life in our own day and in the

world to come.

What was Paul's emphasis regarding the claims of the fifth

commandment? Eph. 6:1-3.

The apostle followed the divine lead in Exodus 20:12 and

addressed the children concerning attitudes to parents. He did

not neglect the parents' responsibilities (see Eph. 6:4), but first

stressed the children's duty both to obey and to honor their

father and mother. He did so in awareness that filial respect

would weaken as time flowed on. He recognized the rebellious

tendencies in his own day (Rom. 1:30), but he foresaw a worsen-

ing family situation "in the last days" (2 Tim. 3:1, 2). The com-

mandment therefore has particular relevance for our time.

The initial responsibility for children's attitudes rests with

their parents. To them has been given the duty and privilege of

raising their sons and daughters "in the nurture and admonition

of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4), that is, with Christian discipline and

instruction.



THINK IT THROUGH



In today's social system, what application do we make of

the call to honor our fathers and mothers?



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies, vol.

1, pp. 397-401.



The Law of the



Lord-II

LESSON 7



❑

Monday

August 10



Part 2



Note how the Lawgiver affirms His concern for the sacred-

RESPECT ness of human life.

FOR LIFE

"Thou shalt not kill" (Ex. 20:13).

There are at least eleven distinct words in the Hebrew Bible

that deal with different aspects of the English verb "to kill." The

word used in Exodus 20:13 is

rasah,

which has the basic mean-

ing "to break or to dash in pieces," hence "to kill." Apart from

its use in the commandment (Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17), it is used in

this sense only twice. But in 12 other places it conveys the

thought of "to murder," that is, "to commit manslaughter," and

would be better so rendered in this instance. The translations of

Moffatt, the NEB, and the NIV use the word "murder."

Murder is a shocking sin because its results can never be

called back. No human power can restore the life that is

ruthlessly ended. He who murders usurps a power that belongs

to God alone or to the community that administers justice on His

behalf.

What deeper appreciation of the sixth commandment does

Jesus make in His exposition of the law? Matt. 5:21-26. (See

also 1 John 3:14, 15.)

It is entirely appropriate that He who gave Israel its laws from

Mount Sinai should explain the deeper meaning embedded in

the four words, "Thou shalt not kill." In so doing, Jesus shows

His concern over the inner urges that produce the act of murder

and that reveal the sinfulness of hatred and anger. Assassina-

tion of a brother's character may call for judgment as much as

the sudden taking of his life. As always, the Lord probes beneath

the surface and lays bare the thoughts and intents of the heart,

and in this case He offers love as the correction for anger and

murder. He revokes the old rule of "an eye for an eye, and a

tooth for a tooth," and He bids us replace hatred for an enemy

with an all-forgiving love (Matt. 5:38, 39, 43-48).

"All acts of injustice that tend to shorten life; the spirit of

hatred and revenge, or the indulgence of any passion that leads

to injurious acts toward others, or causes us even to wish them

harm (for 'whoso hateth his brother is a murderer'); a selfish

neglect of caring for the needy or suffering; all self-indulgence

or unnecessary deprivation or excessive labor that tends to

injure health—all these are, to a greater or less degree, viola-

tions of the sixth command

ment."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

308.



THINK IT THROUGH



Am I seeking to replace hatred, or even dislike, with love?



FURTHER STUDY



Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

"The True Motive in

Service" (Matt. 6:7-22), pp. 86-92.



The Law of the



Lord-ll

LESSON 7



❑

Tuesday

August 11



Part 3



Meditate on the seventh commandment.

SACREDNESS



OF MARRIAGE



"Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Ex. 20:14).

This command arises from God's ideal set forth in Eden. He

intended one man and one woman, moved by mutual love, to

marry, to beget children, and establish an ideal home which

would be copied by following generations. Marriage was de-

signed to satisfy the legitimate, God-implanted desires of both

men and women. The commandment was given from the be-

ginning to safeguard the sacredness of marriage, a sanctity that

is destroyed by adultery—which is defined as the voluntary

sexual intercourse of two persons, one or both of whom are

married, though not to each other. (Sexual activity outside mar-

riage was not thereby countenanced.) Disregard of this com-

mand has ruined countless marriages, brought sorrow into

innumerable lives, bewildered innocent children, and weak-

ened the spiritual life and influence of the church.

What light does Jesus throw on the broader meaning of this

forbidding of adultery? Matt. 5:27-32.

The Master's teaching was directed first to men because in

Jewish life only the man had power to initiate divorce; therefore

he bore the principal responsibility in marriage. In the current

trends toward equality of the sexes, however, the Saviour's

instruction is of concern to both sexes. Today both marriage

partners carry the responsibility of preventing adultery by a

love-filled giving of self in satisfying each other's need for love.

Christ's interpretation of the seventh commandment is not

limited to husbands and wives. He sets standards of sexual

conduct for all, married and unmarried, young and old. Resis-

tance to the first sign of temptation, a turning from enticement,

refusal to be drawn into sin—these can prevent the fall into any

form of adultery.

In the sixth beatitude, our Lord reveals the key to sexual

purity: "Blessed are the pure in heart" (Matt. 5:8). They are

spared the griefs created by responding to unlawful desire.

They, like the lily, can be pure in a muddy world. Unspotted, they

can walk in white with Christ, their sinless Saviour. But such a

state is not easily attained. "Those who would not fall a prey to

Satan's devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul; they

must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest

impure thoughts.... The heart must

faithfully sentineled, or

evils without will awaken evils within, and the soul will wander in

darkness."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 518.



THINK IT THROUGH



What can we do to help ourselves and our church maintain

New Testament standards of purity?



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies, vol.

7, pp. 45-50.



The Law of the



Lord-II

LESSON 7



❑

Wednesday

August 12



Part 4



With what words did the Lord set before His people ideals of

TOTAL honesty and respect for others' property?

HONESTY

"Thou shalt not steal" (Ex. 20:15).

This is a necessary clause in the legal code of every human

society. The need arises from the universal tendency to break

the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet," and the resul-

tant breaking of the eighth which forbids stealing. And here, as

in the question of adultery, the secret of victory lies in rejecting

the first urge to sin. Refusal to desire another's property will

prevent the taking of that property; while a harboring of desire,

if unchecked, may lead to the act of stealing.

Each society produces its own inducements to dishonesty.

The temptations in Israel during the Exodus must have been

starkly simple, for a wandering people's possessions were

necessarily few. But in Egypt, where lavish wealth was paraded

before deep poverty, and in the more settled conditions that

awaited the twelve tribes in Canaan, enticements to sin were

and would be multiplied and intensified. We can apply the

lesson to the situation that confronts ourselves.

What was Paul's plan for upholding the eighth command-

ment? Phil. 4:11. (Compare 1 Tim. 6:6-11.)

Those who cultivate a contented spirit spare themselves the

shame of taking another's goods.

There are, however, many other forms of stealing, apart from

the direct theft of money or materials. Consider our attitudes

and actions in relation to payment or evasion of taxes and of

customs duties. How faithful are we in giving to God a complete

tenth of our income and offerings "as God hath prospered us"?

Do we steal from the worthy poor by not assisting them when we

have the means to do so? Do we limit our "charity" to the

narrow circle of church-related needs, or do we show a gener-

ous spirit toward genuine need wherever we meet it? Do we, by

working less than the agreed time, steal from our employer? Do

we steal another's good name? The number and variety of

questions relating to theft are embarrassingly rich!

The cure for any tendency to steal lies in unswerving honesty,

prompted and upheld by God's Spirit. "When a man is indeed

connected with God, and is keeping His law in truth, his life will

reveal the fact; for all his actions will be in harmony with the

teachings of Christ. He will not sell his honor for gain."—

Testimonies,

vol. 4, p. 310.



THINK IT THROUGH



What is the honesty record of Seventh-day Adventists—

including myself—in my neighborhood?



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 4, pp. 489-491.

The Law of the Lord-II

LESSON 7



❑

Thursday

August 13



Part 5



Consider God's plan for teaching truthfulness to His people.

TRUTH



TELLERS



"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour"

(Ex. 20:16).

Although this ninth commandment was not formally given to

Israel until Sinai, its principle, as with the other nine, had been in

force since Creation. Its instruction will continue to be needed

as long as there are faulty human beings like ourselves.

False witness is a specific form of dishonesty. It states a lie as

if it were truth in order to injure another, and is often done for

personal gain. It may rob the victim of his goods, of his good

name, or even of his life. It is therefore a form of stealing and

illustrates the close connection of one commandment with

another. Its central message bids us "Tell the truth, and nothing

but the truth in respect of others—or keep quiet."

"This commandment is not only applicable to the lawcourts.

It does include perjury, but it also includes all forms of scandal

and slander, all idle talk and tittle-tattle, all lies and deliberate

exaggerations or distortions of the truth. We can bear false

witness by listening to unkind rumours as well as by passing

them on, by telling jokes at somebody else's expense by creat-

ing false impressions, by not correcting untrue statements, and

by our silence as well as by our speech."—J. R. W. Stott,

Basic

Christianity

(London: Inter-Varsity Fellowship, 1958), p. 69.

It will be seen that fulfillment of this command cannot be a

mechanical process. The secret of keeping it lies in the state of

one's mind, whether one has become prone to leave the path of

uprightness or whether one has cultivated the mind of Christ in

whom there is no kind of falsehood.

Where must truth reside for it to govern our lives? Ps. 15:1,

2; 51:6.

THINK IT THROUGH

Truth is a resident quality that should dwell in every Chris-

tian's heart. When that is so, he will be incapable of bearing

false witness or of telling a lie, for he will instinctively tell the

truth. He is then

the

kind of person whom God wants to dwell in

His holy hill, in Paradise.

The presence of truth in the heart will draw us to Him who is

truth, prepare us to be like Him who is the True Witness (Rev.

3:14), and enable us to be eternally at ease in His presence.

Does truth dwell in our hearts, or is it only an occasional

visitor?

FURTHER STUDY



Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

"The Lord's Prayer"

(Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2), pp. 102-106.



The Law of the



Lord-II

LESSON 7



❑

Friday

August 14



Pail 6



What negative discipline will encourage a contented frame

TRUE of mind?

CONTENTMENT

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not

covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maid-

servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy

neighbour's" (Ex. 20:17).

This commandment might well have appeared as number

eight to introduce the command against stealing, for the two

belong together. He who covets takes the first step on the road

to theft. A refusal to covet, a firm rejection of the desire to

possess what another has, will turn us aside from reaching out

to take a brother's or sister's property—of any kind. In some

countries the principle of the command may be made more

clear by changing "ox" and "ass" to "car" or "plane" or "bicy-

cle," but the spiritual intent remains the same. We may admire

what others have, but when we grow envious and allow the acid

of covetousness to eat into our souls, then we are injuring

ourselves and preparing the way for injury to our neighbor.

The question of covetousness is a deeply spiritual matter,

beyond the reach of human law. It transcends legal formalities

and digs into "the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).

Are we more interested in acquiring possessions, in keeping up

with "the Joneses," in appearing affluent before our neighbors,

than in possessing true godliness?

With what words does Paul introduce the basic cure for

covetousness? 1 Tim. 6:6.

This quality does not come naturally to most people, but if

there is the core of godliness in our hearts, we shall, by the aid of

our Lord Jesus Christ, be able to cultivate the grace of content-

ment.

The positive form of this commandment is "Enjoy your own

possessions." Let us be thankful for what the Lord has already

given us. This attitude will spare us much heartache and make

us better neighbors.

"Those who use their wealth in doing good will see no neces-

sity for large accumulations in this world; for the treasure which

is used to advance the cause of God and which is given to the

needy in Christ's name is given to Christ, and He lays it up for us

in the bank of heaven in bags which wax not old."—

Testimonies,

vol. 3, p. 546.



THINK IT THROUGH



Where are most of our energies centered—on gaining

material possessions, or on developing a Christlike nature?

What do our homes proclaim?



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 3, pp. 381-385.

LESSON 8 August 16-22

8 New Lftve.s for eild

"As many as received him, to them

gave he power to become the sons of

God, even to them that believe on his

name" (John 1:12).

During the past two weeks we have

considered the law of the

Lord—finding it to include the Ten

Commandments but not being

restricted to them—and seeing it as

an expression of God's loving will for

mankind. But human frailty grasps at

mechanical means of salvation by

works. It must learn that "no man is

justified by the law in the sight of

God" and that "the just shall live by

faith."

This week we remind ourselves of

long-held but often-forgotten truths.

From David and Paul we gain realistic

views of sinful human nature—plus

how to turn to God's way of

overcoming it. From our Lord

Himself welearn of the need of a new

birth for entry into the kingdom of

God. Paul shows how we, through

baptism by immersion, identify with

Christ in His death, burial, and

resurrection and thus signify the

death of our old selves and the

spiritual resurrection to new lives as

Christians, released from past sins

and prepared fora sinless eternity. In

Christ, and by His self-sacrifice, we

become new creatures, living lives

that are acceptable to God "by faith

of the Son of God, who loved" us

"and gave himself for" us.

And so to our memory verse—to

receive Him and the power that

enables (or the right that permits) us

to become the sons of God through

trust in His name. John and Paul both

recognize the one and only,means of

salvation—personal faith in Christ as

the Saviour of the world. In this, the

two apostles are but supporting what

Jesus Himself said: "Whosoever

believeth in him should not perish,

but have everlasting life."

It might be well to remember that,

for the baby, it is relatively easy to be

born. The serious business of life

begins thereafter. Similarly, the new

birth does not solve all of life's

problems. It is still true that "we must

through much tribulation ,enter into

the kingdom of God" (Ads 14:22).

But "the trials of life are God's

workmen, to remove the impurities

and roughness from our character"

(Thoughts From the Mount of

Blessing,

p. 10), helping us to grow

up into Christ.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Sinners All

(Ps. 14:2, 3)

Justified Sinners

(Rom. 3:24)

Born of the Spirit

(John 3:3-7)

Dead and Resurrected

(Rom. 6:3, 4)

From Death to Glory

(Eph. 2:1-3)

Made New in Christ

(2 Cor.

5:17)

New Lives for Old

LESSON 8



❑

Sunday

August 16

Part 1

SINNERS ALL

THINK IT THROUGH

Think upon the Lord's assessment of the human race as

recorded by David.

"The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of

men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek

God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become

filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Ps. 14:2, 3).

This is not looking for the worst, it is looking for reality. Even

in Eden sin had reared its ugly head, and thereafter tainted all

who were born of Adam and Eve. Within 10 generations men

and women had sunk so low that the Creator sent the Flood, and

through Noah and his family gave humanity a new start. (See

Gen. 6:5-8; 8:20 to 9:1.) But mankind showed itself unwilling to

be changed and clung to its sin. In David's day the psalmist

could state on the Lord's behalf: "There is none that doeth

good, no, not one." The compilers of the book of Psalms were

sufficiently impressed by the theme to include an almost identi-

cal psalm (53); while Paul (Rom. 3:10-18) uses selections from

the book of Psalms (most from the Greek translation of the Old

Testament) to establish the depravity of man and his lost estate:

"There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom. 3:10).

With what conclusive declaration does Paul convey the

Bible's verdict on man's sinfulness? Rom. 3:23.

In the Greek original of the phrase "all have sinned," Paul

conveys the idea that this sinning was done once and for all in

the past, specifically in Adam's sin. This should be compared

with Romans 5:12, where the apostle teaches that Adam's

transgression affected all of his descendants. "By their trans-

gression, sin was introduced as an infectious power in human

nature antagonistic to God, and this infection has continued

ever since. It is because of this infection of nature, traceable to

Adam's sin, that men must be born again."—S.D.A.

Bible Com-

mentary,

vol. 6, p. 531. This is not an arbitrary act on God's part,

for the second part of Romans 3:23 says—by the use of the

present tense—"continue to fall short" or "keep on falling

short" of the glory of God. No individual since Adam has com-

pletely disassociated himself or herself from Adam's fall by

living free from sin. By their own sins all have shared in Adam's

original guilt. There has only been One who lived on earth

without sin; all others have fallen short of God's character and

are therefore in need of redemption.

Is my realization of my sinfulness as vivid now as when I first

felt my need of a Saviour? Is a deepening repentance a sign of

progress toward holiness?

New Lives for Old

LESSON 8



❑

Monday

August 17



Part 2



After recognition of universal sinfulness, what great step

JUSTIFIED toward salvation does Paul next take for his readers?

SINNERS

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption

that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

When confronted by his sinfulness, the sincere man's instinct

is to reform and demonstrate that he is better than others sup-

pose him to be. He attempts to conform to God's standard, the

law, but discovers that he cannot live according to its precepts.

He then learns that "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh

be justified in his [God's] sight" (verse 20), and is prepared for

the almost incredible plan outlined in today's scripture. In His

unfathomable mercy, God makes provision for a sinner to be

treated as a righteous person. All sins can be pardoned and a

new start in Christian living begun.

Being justified.

The present tense is used, indicating that we

can be justified, or declared righteous, at any time that we

choose to cast ourselves on God's mercy and claim His assur-

ance of forgiveness.

Freely.

The Greek word means "as a gift" or "without pay-

ment," and is correctly rendered "freely" or "gratis." It is hard

for human minds to grasp that no payment is demanded, it

seems too good to be true—yet true it is!

By His grace.

This expresses in another form, from a different

angle, the same thought given by the word "freely." The phrase

identifies the divine quality that makes our justification possi-

ble, namely, "grace." The usual definition, "unmerited favor," is

not adequate in this context. "Grace" here refers to one of our

Creator's intrinsic qualities. It arises out of His inexhaustible

love for His creatures, leading Him to do all that is necessary to

save them from the results of their own folly. Its operation plays

a central role in salvation. (See Eph. 2:8.)

Through the redemption.

God'sgrace is the motivating power

in His plan for our salvation;

redemption

is the method He

employs to effect our deliverance from sin's bondage. The En-

glish word "redemption" and its Greek equivalent are both

connected with the thought of "buying back" or "ransom,"

hence, "deliverance."

In Christ Jesus.

The Father chose to channel redemption

through the Son. (See 1 John 5:11, 12.) It is in the total ministry

of Jesus that our ransom from sin is effected at the cost of His

own life. (See Rom. 3:25; 5:8.) This follows God's consistent

practice of working through Christ in all things that pertain to

our world and its inhabitants.



THINK IT THROUGH



We know the theory of redemption. Are we experiencing its

liberating power in our daily lives?



FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 63-70.

New Lives for Old

LESSON 8



El Tuesday

August 18

Part 3



What simple but essential truth regarding salvation did

BORN OF Jesus teach in His talk with Nicodemus? How does it affect us

THE SPIRIT today?

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto

thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom

of God.. . . Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born

again" (John 3:3-7).

Our studying this lesson and our presence in Sabbath School

suggest that we do wish to enter the kingdom of heaven. To-

day's message, then, must be heeded by us. Unless we have

been or shall be born again, we cannot even

see

the kingdom,

much less

enter

that holy realm.

Let us earnestly ask ourselves, "Have we been born again, or

have we just whitewashed our old lives, making them look

respectable while they remain unchanged within?" This is a

question we need to ask and answer. Jesus said to Nicodemus:

"It is not theoretical knowledge you need so much as spiritual

regeneration. You need not to have your curiosity satisfied, but

to have a new heart. You must receive new life from above

before you can appreciate heavenly things. Until this change

takes place, making all things new, it will result in no saving

good for you to discuss with Me My authority or My

mission."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 171.

What additional explanation did Jesus offer concerning our

new birth? John 3:5, 6.

The Saviour here offers two enlightenments. The first asserts

the need for burial of the old life in the waters of baptism,

followed by a resurrection that initiates the new life. The second

affirms the need to be born of the Holy Spirit, to have a life that is

conceived, sustained, and directed by that Spirit.

"The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of

the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self

and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought

about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. . . .

"When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it

transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are

renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger,

envy, and strife.... The blessing comes when by faith the soul

surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye

can see creates a new being in the image of God."—The

Desire

of Ages,

pp. 172, 173.

What kind of life am I now living-.-a modified old one or a

transformed new one?

The Desire of Ages,

pp. 167-177.

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

New Lives for Old

LESSON 8



❑

Wednesday

August 19

Part 4

DEAD AND

RESURRECTED

Having recognized our need for a new birth, how may we

signify that this has taken place?

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into

Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are

buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was

raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we

also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:3, 4).

In these verses Paul clearly identifies the Christian experi-

ence at baptism with the death and resurrection of the Lord

Jesus. This immeasurably increases the significance of baptism

by immersion, making it not only a cleansing act (see John 3:5;

Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5), but, more meaningfully still, the death of

the old nature and its burial beneath the baptismal waters. This

enables a resurrection to take place, but not of the old nature,

for it is reckoned dead; it must be a new creature who rises from

the water to "walk in newness of life."

Note the way in which death and resurrection are further

symbolized in baptism. Rom. 6:5-7.

The comparison between the convert's spiritual death and

resurrection in baptism is sharpened here. The death is likened

to crucifixion, with the old self being rendered "powerless"

rather than "destroyed." This is a dramatic comparison that

should emphasize the need for a complete change of life-style

for all believers. The way is then prepared for a resurrection that

marks the beginning of the new life, even as Christ came from

the tomb with His human form glorified.

Most of us will confess that our spiritual troubles arise from

those parts of the old self that constantly seek to rise again.

Hence the need for clearer and clearer glimpses of the cross

that produce ever-deepening repentance, more complete trust

in the merits of Jesus, and more complete submission to His

indwelling Spirit.

"This passage [Rom. 6:6] emphasizes the fact that conversion

and rebirth mean more than a mere change of profession and

habits of life. They involve a radical change in the inner man,

which can be wrought only by the regenerating Spirit of God.

The plan for man's salvation brings not only deliverance from

condemnation through acceptance of the benefits of Christ's

sacrifice, it brings also the birth or creation of a new self free

from the slavery of

sin."—S.D.A. Bible Commentary,

vol. 6, p.

538.



THINK IT THROUGH



How faithfully are we now fulfilling our baptismal vows?



FURTHER STUDY



S.D.A. Bible Commentary,

vol. 6, pp. 536-541.

New Lives for Old

LESSON 8



❑

Thursday

August 20

Part 5

FROM DEATH

TO GLORY

What black but truthful picture does Paul paint of the past

lives of many believers?

"You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and

sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course

of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,

the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in

the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of

the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as

others" (Eph. 2:1-3).

In the original language of the Bible, the picture presented in

these three verses looks blacker still, for the verb translated

"quickened" does not appear until verse 5 and is inserted early

in our version only to clarify Paul's meaning. As we who have

been called out of the world's sin look at ourselves, we are

probably tempted to think the colors are too dark; but as God in

His purity looks upon our past, the picture may appear too light.

We should not forget the depths from which even the best of us

have been lifted!

In what sublime language does Paul depict the Christian's

present prospect of future glory? Eph. 2:4-7.

After his gloomy but accurate portrayal of the past (verses

1-3), the apostle looks up and sees what God has already done

for us in Christ. The revelation is almost beyond belief. It shows

us a God whose wealth is reckoned not in silver, gold, or jewels

but in the inexhaustible mercy which flows to us because of the

magnitude of His love toward us. This love has led Him to

include us among the recipients of the benefits arising from

Christ's resurrection. Even though we were then, according to

God's foreknowledge, still "dead in trespasses" (verse 1), He

guaranteed our being brought to life by virtue of His Son's

victory over death on that resurrection morning. So sure is God

of saving us from our sin and its fatal result that, in His own mind

and in the Person of Christ, He has already raised us up and

seated us at His own right hand. And, as if that assurance is not

breath-taking enough, He reveals His further plans. He has

saved us for an astounding purpose, namely, "that in the ages to

come he might shew" (verse 7) through us the extraordinary,

indescribable, immeasurable wealth of His grace or kindness.



THINK IT THROUGH



0 Father of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we thank

Thee

now for Thy great kindness, which needs all eternity in

which to express itself toward us!



FURTHER STUDY



S.D.A. Bible Commentary,

vol. 6, pp. 1006, 1007.

New Lives for Old

LESSON 8



❑

Friday

August 21



Part 6



There are many, many facets to God's plan for saving us from

MADE NEW

our sins, and we need to keep their principal features in mind in

IN CHRIST

order to form a balanced view of that plan. Overemphasis on

one aspect to the neglect of others gives us a distorted view of

redemption and may lead us astray. In our study this week we

have caught a glimpse of the hopelessness of natural man and

his inability to save himself from his sin. We have seen God enter

human history in the Person of His Son to rescue man and give a

new life through a new birth, which is signalized by baptism.

There is always the danger, however, that we shall be satisfied

with the symbol and miss the reality of experience it is meant to

illustrate. Study and acceptance of today's texts will help to

guard us from these mistakes.

How does Paul contrast the difference in quality of life be-

fore and after conversion?

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are

passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor.

5:17).

Conversion is expressed as the state of being "in Christ,"

which is Paul's concise definition of what it means to be a

Christian. In other places he speaks of "them that are sanctified

in Christ Jesus" (1 Cor. 1:2), "the faithful in Christ Jesus" (Eph.

1:1), "the saints in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2), and of

being "created in ChristJesus".(Eph. 2:10). Here (2 Cor. 5:17) he

can state: If anyone is

in Christ,

or hidden in Christ, being

completely identified with Him, then he becomes a different

creature.

What contrasting parts are played by life and death in Paul's

conception of the Christian life? Gal. 2:20.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 the Christian was shown to be "in

Christ." Here Christ is said to be in the Christian: Both concepts

are true, and we need to experience them both in order to enjoy

a fully balanced Christian life. But how can Christ live in us? One

answer is found in Ephesians 3:17, where the apostle prays

"that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." A free rendering

of this reads: "that Christ may make His home in your hearts by

faith," and that reveals the simple secret of Christian living. Our

Lord must be our Guest, not just for a day or two, but as a

permanent resident in our hearts, serving there as Mentor,

Guide, and Saviour—the Conqueror of our sin.



THINK IT THROUGH



Which room does Jesus occupy in our hearts—the attic, the

basement, or the best room?



FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"The Test of Discipleship," pp. 56-65.

LESSON 9 August 23-29

9 Trust and obey

"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast

faith, and I have works; shew me thy

faith without thy works, and I will shew

thee my faith by my works" (James

2:18).

The mysteries of our religion,

especially its central truths

concerning salvation, are simple but

deep. They call first for a childlike

trust in God's ability to save from sin

and reveal depths of truth that will

keep us exploring throughout

eternity. We need to retain the

childlike trust while we increase our

understanding of God's love and

mercy that make salvation possible.

A few Sabbath School lessons are not

sufficient for us to plumb the depths

and measure the heights of the love

that is shown toward us in Christ

Jesus, but we can keep on trying to

understand what has been revealed

to us in the Word.

This week we shall try to gain a

fresh glimpse of the central fact of

redemption—that we are saved by

faith and not by any merit of our own,

seeing that in God's eyes we possess

none. Having once again

acknowledged that, we recognize

our need to allow the Holy Spirit to

produce in our lives the evidence

that we have renounced sin and

embraced righteousness. There

must be no contradiction between

our confession of faith in Jesus and

our daily way of life. Our faith and

our works or daily deeds must

harmonize; or our profession is mere

lip service to a beautiful theory that is

unsupported by our conduct. This is

why we must find the secret of

combining faith and good works.

One aspect of our religion should

not be so stressed that it excludes or

minimizes the other. Both must play

their part in the working out of our

salvation.

In an effort to come to grips with

the apparent contradiction that

seems to arise when we stress the

need for faith and works, the daily

lessons will deal with our need to

trust and obey. It is a mistake to

concentrate on one to the exclusion

or belittling of the other. They are

essential parts of one whole., But,

being human and therefore erring,

we tend to emphasize one at the

expense of the other. A fresh look at

biblical teaching should help us

maintain a balance in theory and

practice.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Believe and Live

(John 3:16)

Saved by Grace Through Faith

(Gal. 2:16)

Reconciled and Justified

(2 Cor. 5:18, 19)

Why Christ Came

(Matt. 1:21)

Clean and Active

(1 John 1:9)

A Question of Fruit

(Col. 3:1, 2)

Trust and Obey

LESSON 9



❑

Sunday

August 23

Part 1



What has always been man's part in God's plan for his

BELIEVE salvation?

AND LIVE

THINK IT THROUGH

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten

Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but

have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

With good reason we usually give highest importance to the

part taken by God the Father in this best-known of all Bible

verses. But the text also pinpoints our part in redemption's plan:

"Whosoever believeth in him [shall] ... have everlasting life." He

who would be saved must

believe,

must have faith in God's

ability and desire to save him from sin and its results. This

insures that only he who

wishes

to be saved will be rescued from

the devil's clutches. None will be given eternal life against his

own will. He must

desire

and choose to live eternally in the

sinless company of Father, Son, Holy Spirit, angels, and mul-

titudes of other redeemed human beings.

Under emergency conditions, how did two apostolic prison-

ers summarize the requirements for salvation? Acts 16:25-32.

Against the background of prison brutality and the alarm of "a

great earthquake," there came the cry, "Sirs, what must I do to

be saved?" In response there came the simple reply, "Believe

on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy

house" (verse 31). There was no time for more. No Bible study,

no sermon, no doctrinal instruction, just the absolute essential

for the sinner to be

saved:Believe.

This, of course, was just the

beginning of the new life for the jailer and his family. Growth

undoubtedly followed as they were more fully instructed in the

Christian way. But belief had to continue. There never came a

time when they could dispense with belief in the Lord Jesus.

"To talk of religion in a casual way, to pray without soul

hunger and living faith, avails nothing. A nominal faith in Christ,

which accepts Him merely as the Saviour of the world, can never

bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto salvation is not a

mere intellectual assent to the truth. . . . It is not enough to

believe

about

Christ; we must believe

Him. The only faith that

will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal

Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves."—The

De-

sire of Ages,

p. 347.

What can we do to maintain the original freshness of our

belief in Christ's power to save us from sin and grant us

eternal life?

FURTHER STUDY



Gospel Workers,

pp. 259-263.

Trust and Obey

LESSON 9



❑

Monday

August 24

Part 2

SAVED BY GRACE

THROUGH FAITH

THINK IT THROUGH

Is it a matter of opinion as to how one is reckoned

righteous—by faith or by works?

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law,

but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in

Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ,

and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law

shall no flesh be justified" (Gal. 2:16).

Paul teaches that we are justified, or declared righteous, by

faith

Jesus Christ (rather than

of)

and not by observance of

law. It is generally agreed that "law" here refers to the moral,

civil, and ceremonial guidance given to Israel at Sinai and that

this includes the Decalogue but is not limited to it. An attempt to

be justified "by works of law" (there are no definite articles here

in the original) is an attempt to obtain salvation by works, which

is doomed to failure. All have sinned, and so none is able to

claim righteousness. We are entirely dependent on the only

known Righteous One who has ever lived—the Man Christ

Jesus. If we are to be declared righteous, it is by faith in His

sinless life and substitutionary death and not through any law-

keeping efforts of our own.

From the exercise of which divine quality does our salvation

spring? Eph. 2:8, 9.

The sinner's natural urge is to

something to save himself

from the results of his own sin. The apostle rings the death knell

over all such attempts. There is no act which we can perform to

effect our own deliverance from sin and its penalty. We can only

accept the salvation that God's grace offers as a free gift. And

since there is no

visible

evidence of that gift, it must be accepted

faith.

"Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, and must

prove to the Lord that they are reformed, before they can claim

His blessing. But they may claim the blessing of God even now.

They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their

infirmities, or they cannot resist evil. Jesus loves to have us

come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent. We may

come with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at

His feet in penitence. It is His glory to encircle us in the arms of

His love and to bind up our wounds, to cleanse us from all

impurity."—Steps

to Christ,

p. 52.

Is my trust completely in God's saving grace? Have I sur-

rendered to it, or am I still struggling to supplement it by my

own good works?

FURTHER STUDY



Gospel

Workers,

pp. 161, 162.

Trust and Obey

LESSON 9



❑

Tuesday

August 25



Part 3



How can we, who by nature are at enmity with God, be

RECONCILED transformed into His friends?

AND



JUSTIFIED



"All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by

Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconcilia-

tion; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto

himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath

committed unto us the word of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18,19).

We cannot reach across the chasm that sin has fixed between

ourselves and God. But our Father's love for His wayward chil-

dren has devised a way whereby we can be reconciled to Him—

counted and treated as righteous because of our Saviour's

righteousness. He presents Himself to us in the winsome life,

death, resurrection, and priestly ministry of His Son. These

loving manifestations are designed to draw us back to God, to

make us His friends instead of His enemies. And God does more.

By the revelation of His own self-humiliation and by the Spirit's

indwelling, He makes us fit to be brought into His holy presence.

By virtue of Christ's sacrificial ministry, He forgives our sins, not

holding them against us, so that we can stand before Him as

though we had never sinned. Indeed, in the Person of Christ, He

makes us as righteous as He Himself is. (See verse 21.) Thus, by

allowing Jesus to reconcile us to the Father, we open the way for

our own justification. And all this operates through faith—our

faith, God-given, directed to the Lamb of God that taketh away

the sin of the world.

Apart from pardon through justification, what additional

blessing does exercise of faith bring to those who believe?

Rom. 5:1.

In Romans, chapter 4, Paul has dealt very thoroughly with

Abraham's exercise of faith which was "counted unto him for

righteousness" (verse 3). (Compare also verses 5, 9, 22.) In

verses 23-25 the apostle declares that we can enjoy similar

justification through faith in God and in all that He has done in

Jesus our Lord. In chapter 5, verse 1, indicating a further stage

in his reasoning by use of the opening word "Therefore," he

concludes that justification also brings us "peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ." Without justification a Chris-

tian could not enjoy peace, for his sinful past would haunt his

every step and preclude all possibility of his being at peace with

His Maker. With justification he is not only assured of pardon,

but of restoration and of the peace of being set right with God.



THINK IT THROUGH



Are reconciliation and justification just printed doctrines, or

are they vibrant experiences that we are continuing to enjoy

since baptism?



FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 5, pp. 739-746.

Trust and Obey

LESSON 9



❑

Wednesday

August 26

Part 4



Many Christians, having been justified by faith, fail to follow

WHY CHRIST

the divine program further. They act as if justification were the

CAME

end rather than the beginning of the believer's journey and

something to be retained. Some have begun well by exercising

trust;

but, becoming self-dependent again, they fail to render

obedience

(the fruit of faith) and therefore make little progress

on the heavenward pathway. We need both to trust and to obey.

The remainder of this week's lesson emphasizes New Testa-

ment teaching that inseparably links faith to obedience.

What was Heaven's basic objective in the incarnation?

"She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name

JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matt.

1:21).

When the angel reassured Joseph concerning the Child that

his betrothed would bear, the reason for the miracle of the virgin

birth was disclosed in the simplest possible language: "He shall

save his people from their sins." (Compare Titus 2:14.) If, then,

His people are not saved from their sins, the purpose in the

giving of God's Son is not achieved and the greatest sacrifice of

all time has been in vain.

Nevertheless, observation of our neighbor's and our own

daily experience demonstrates that Jesus cannot separate us

from our sins if we choose to cling to them.

From the beginning of the gospel story, God has made it clear

that salvation is a cooperative project. Responding to God's

offers, we must

wish

to be saved from sin; we must accept the

invitation "Come unto me"; we must

choose

to follow Christ.

This is our initial part in the transaction; we simply make it

possible for the Lord to redeem us from iniquity. The desire and

the power to be free from sin come from above, not from within.

"I am carnal, sold under sin [or, into the power of sin].... For I

know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing"

(Rom. 7:14-18). But when the Spirit pleads, we must respond.

We, then, cooperate with the Spirit by yielding to His invitation

and turning to God.

"God has given us the power of choice; it is ours to exercise.

We cannot change our hearts, we cannot control our thougths,

our impulses, our affections. We cannot make ourselves pure,

fit for God's service. But we can

choose

to serve God, we can

give Him our will; then He will work in us to will and to do

according to His good pleasure. Thus our whole nature will be

brought under the control of Christ."—The

Ministry of Healing,

p. 176.



THINK IT THROUGH



Are we hindering God's gracious plans by preferring our

sins to His promise of deliverance from them?



FURTHER STUDY



The Ministry of Healing,

pp. 174-176.

Trust and Obey

LESSON 9



❑

Thursd

August 27



Part 5



On the strength of Christ's liberating sacrifice, how may we

CLEAN obtain forgiveness and cleansing from our sins?

AND ACTIVE

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us

our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John

1:9).

This well-known and well-loved verse may still refresh our

understanding of the science of salvation. Repentant confes-

sion of sin on our part will enable a faithful and righteous Lord

to forgive us our sins. "Sins" refers to violation of God-given

moral law. These will not only be forgiven us, but, if our confes-

sion includes a desire to forsake sin, then our Saviour will also

"cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The word "cleanse" is

used in the Gospels for the healing of lepers (Mark 1:40; Matt.

10:8; Luke 17:14) and here refers to cleansing from the leprosy

of sin. "Un righteousness" translatesadikia (injustice, wrongdo-

ing, as well as unrighteousness), and emphasizes the work

done by Him who is righteous or just

(dikaios)

in not only

forgiving but in completely cleansing us from all

adikia.

How can any Christian entertain the expectation that Christ

will pardon and purify us from wickedness and then sanction

our continuance in sinning? This would be contrary to the

whole genius of our religion. Forgiveness and cleansing are to

result in deliverance from evil in all its forms and not in con-

tinuance in its practice. The redeemed Christian will strive,

therefore, to exhibit the ideal character, that of his Master, who

went about doing good. The convert is not to live a sinless life in

a sealed, antiseptic plastic bubble, insulated from the rest of

humanity. (See Matt. 5:16; Acts 9:36; 1 Tim. 2:10; Titus 3:8;

1 Peter 2:12.)

What further definition of Christ's ambition for His people is

provided in Titus 2:13, 14?

In addition to His principal purpose of redeeming us from all

iniquity and preparing His own pure people, the Saviour plans

that we shall be "zealous of good works." This sanctifies the

association of faith and works and agrees with James's teach-

ing that we show our faith by our works and that faith without

good works is dead. (See James 2:18, 20.)



THINK IT THROUGH



As Jesus looks at my life, does He find satisfaction or disap-

pointment in what He sees? Does He find a dead faith or a

living, productive religion?



FURTHER STUDY



Ellen G. White,

Faith and Works

(Nashville, TN: Southern

Publishing Association, 1979), pp. 59-61.

Trust and Obey

LESSON 9



❑

Friday

August 28

Part 6

A QUESTION

OF FRUIT

THINK IT THROUGH

What counsel of Paul's reveals that we must make

our

con-

tribution to spiritual victory in addition to being saved by grace

through faith?

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are

above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your

affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:

1, 2).

Our old self has died; we are reckoned dead, and our life is hid

with Christ in God (verse 3). A spiritual resurrection has taken

place; we are "risen with Christ." We have been baptized; we

are Christians. Yet, says the apostle, we must "seek those things

which are above"; we must set our affections on heavenly and

not on earthly things. This seeking and this setting of our minds

on spiritual matters show that after conversion we still have our

part to play. Salvation by faith does not give us an undisturbed

ride into the kingdom of heaven. We have to continue to "mor-

tify" our "members which are upon the earth" (Col. 3:5); we

have to subdue our carnal desires and reject the sinful traits of

unregenerate natures (verses 8, 9). By a continuing act of our

own wills, encouraged and sustained by the Holy Spirit's influ-

ence and the continuing assurance of our acceptance in Christ,

we must retain the new life in Christ, putting on His attributes

(verses 10, 12-14).

Note how Christ Himself illustrates that true faith will be

shown by our works? Matt. 7:16-20.

The so-called Christian life that does not produce a harvest of

Christian qualities is an empty profession, of no value to its

professor and a stumbling block to his neighbors.

"The good tree will produce good fruit. If the fruit is unpalata-

ble and worthless, the tree is evil. So the fruit borne in the life

testifies as to the condition of the heart and the excellence of

the character. Good works can never purchase salvation, but

they are an evidence of the faith that acts by love and purifies the

soul. And though the eternal reward is not bestowed because of

our merit, yet it will be in proportion to the work that has been

done through the grace of Christ."—The

Desire of Ages,

p.314.

Our study this week can teach us that "there's no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." Trust or faith is

but an empty vaunt when it produces no obedience. Obedi-

ence that is not the fruit of faith degenerates into legalism. In

salvation, there is trust in Christ's redeeming love that results

in obedience to all His biddings.

FURTHER STUDY



Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

"Not Judging, but

Doing," pp. 149-152.

LESSON 10 August 30 to September 5

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Resurredon

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resur-

rection, and the life: he that believeth

in me, though he were dead, yet shall

he live: and whosoever liveth and be-

lieveth in me shall never die. Believest

thou this?" (John 11:25, 26).

Jesus is talking to Martha, the be-

reaved sister of Lazarus, and assures

her that her brother will rise again.

Martha believes this but thinks in

terms of "the last day." Jesus en-

larges her knowledge and her faith

by revealing more of His own nature

and power than she then knew, by

raising Lazarus from the dead (later

that same day). He is the I AM. He is

the resurrection. Apart from Him

there is no hope of victory over

death, no resurrection. He is the life.

All life comes from Him; without

Him no life is possible.

The truth of these assertions takes

us back to the beginning of human

life in Eden. There, He who is life

shared that life with the first man and

woman and, through them, with all

their descendants. But the ideal situ-

ation is soon upset; and death, the

very negation of life, comes and

reigns in every generation.

Mortal man cannot begin to un-

derstand or feel the anguish that

death causes the Creator. This was

especially keen at the time of the Fall

when our first parents, by choosing

sin, began to die; but because God

does not get accustomed to evil in

any form, great or infinitesimally

small, the anguish continues and will

only cease with the end of sin.

Recognition of the Godhead's sor-

row wilfhelp us understand a little of

the sacrifice that Christ made when

He who personally knew no sin be-

came sin for us that we might be-

come sinless as He is. (See 2 Cor.

5:21). It also explains the motivation

behind His incarnation: "I am come

that they might have life" (John

10:10). Similarly, we can begin to un-

derstand the divine purpose—"that

through death he might destroy him

that had the power of death, that is,

the devil" (Heb. 2:14). In this matter

of life and death, our Lord did not

limit Himself to words. His raising of

the dead provided dramatic evi-

dence of His Godhead. Only one

further question remained: If He

died, would that same resurrecting

power rob the grave of its most

illustrious Victim? The empty tomb

provided the answer.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

The Making of Man

(Gen. 2:7)

Sin's Harvest

(Gen. 3:24)

What About Death?

(Job 14:14, 15)

The Life-giver

(John 5:21-26)

Resurrection

(Several References)

His Own Resurrection

(Matt. 16:21)

Life, Death, and Resurrection

LESSON 10



❑

Sunday

August 30

Part 1

THE MAKING

OF MAN

THINK IT THROUGH

What process did the Creator employ in the making of man?

"The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and

breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a

living soul" (Gen. 2:7).

In chapter 1:26, 27 the fact of God's creation of man is stated

but not described. In chapter 2:7 graphic details are given con-

cerning that creation. The Lord takes matter that has already

been created (dust of the ground) and from it formed the man.

This is the first biblical use of the verb "to form" and indicates a

different action from the verbs "to create" and "to make," both

of which figure prominently in Genesis 1. The noun form of

yaqar,

"to form," is variously used for "potter," "artist,"

"creator." The use of

yasar

here suggests the action of molding

the dust of the ground into the form of the first man, Adam,

whose name is related to the Hebrew word for "ground"

('adamah).

At that stage the form was lifeless. Not until God

breathed the breath into the form's nostrils did that form be-

come Adam, a living soul

(nephesh,

used also for "life," "living

creature," "heart," "mind," "person"). From the beginning his

life was dependent on the breath that the Lord gave him.

How is the reversal of the life-giving process described?

Eccl. 12:7.

Man had already been warned about the results of disobedi-

ence: "In the day that thou eatest thereof [the tree of the knowl-

edge of good and evil] thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:17). When

Adam and Eve sinned, the decree began to operate—they

began to die. The Lord reminded them that they were taken from

the dust of the ground and would eventually return to it (3:19).

And that dust returns to the earth whence the Creator had first

taken it for the formation of man. At the same time the spirit

(ruach,

used also for "breath" and "wind") returns to the God

who had first breathed it into man's nostrils to make the lifeless

clay form into a living creature

(nephesh,

used also for

"breath"). The act of breathing had made man come alive;

cessation of that action brought death, and that death brought

decay—a return to the dust from which the first man was

molded. There was no immortal soul in man. When his "breath"

or "spirit" was taken from him, all of him was dead until God

would once more breathe into his nostrils the breath of life.

Consider the accuracy of the Genesis picture of the creation

and nature of man. Reflect on the mystery of human life and its

dependence on breath and the act of breathing.

FURTHER STUDY



Testimonies,

vol. 8, pp. 258-264.

Life, Death, and Resurrection

LESSON 10



❑

Monday

August 31

Part 2

SIN'S HARVEST

Upon the entrance of sin, what steps did God take to save

man and woman from eternal misery?

"He drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the

garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned

every way, to keep the way of the tree of life" (Gen. 3:24).

By eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, the first human

pair became acquainted with evil and became sinners. If they

had been allowed to eat of the tree of life, they would have

become immortal sinners (verse 22). To spare them from such

misery, God barred the way to the tree of life and allowed sin to

bring about eventual death, while, through Christ, the Father

made it possible for man and woman to enjoy sinless eternal

life.

The episode reveals that humankind were originally depen-

dent upon the tree of life for the privilege of enjoying eternity.

They were not inherently immortal. They possessed only

condi-

tional immortality;

and when by sinning they failed to fulfill the

condition, they lost the intended possibility of living forever and

became subject to death. They could afterward enjoy eternal life

only as a gift from God through Christ. In the meantime the

wages of sin would be death.

After Eden, how does history confirm the basic sentence

upon sin—"thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:17)?

Sin soon produced death. After the murder of Abel, there

came the mournful refrain over the line of patriarchs—"and he

died" (Gen. 5:5, 8, etc.). Through the gloom of human mortality

there shine only occasional gleams of eternity. Enoch "was not;

for God took him" (verse 24). Moses, after death and burial, was

resurrected. Elijah was translated. The Shunamite's son was

raised to life, but must later have died at a normal age.

Great spiritual leaders such as Abraham, Joseph, and Samuel

died normal deaths and were buried. In the case of David there

is additional light from Peter's pentecostai sermon; "he is both

dead and buried," and "David is not ascended into the

heavens" (Acts 2:29, 34). The testimony from four thousand

years of history is that "the dead know not any thing" (Eccl. 9:5).

This lack of any inborn claims on immortality comes not from

ignorance, nor from skepticism, but from knowledge—

knowledge of the wages of sin and of the need to wait for the

end of human history, the end of mortality.



THINK IT THROUGH



Try to understand what sorrow the ruin brought by death

must bring to the life-giving Creator.



FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 57-62.

Life, Death, and Resurrection

LESSON 10



❑

Tuesday

September 1

Part 3



What is one of the earliest recorded questions concerning

WHAT ABOUT death?

DEATH?

"If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my ap-

pointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call,

and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of

thine hands" (Job 14:14, 15).

It is hardly surprising that Job, in the midst of his sore trou-

bles, gave much thought to the death that might bring them to

an end (ch. 14:10-13). But his faith in God led him to look beyond

the grave to the possibility of living again. He believed the Lord

would call him from the tomb, unwilling to lose His creation;

and Job will gladly respond to the life-giving call.

According to a psalmist, what was the chosen people's

understanding of man's condition in death? Ps. 146:4.

The writer is thinking of the son of man in whom there is no

help or salvation (verse 3). His breath

(ruach)

goes out, that is,

he expires, and he returns to the dust. Immediately his thoughts

or plans perish. (See Eccl. 9:5, 6, 10.) There is no hint here of a

soul that leaves the body at death and continues its own exis-

tence in a more blessed state. The fact that an individual's

thoughts perish on the day of his death denies any possibility of

conscious life after death prior to a resurrection.

But such an outlook is not comfortless. The writer goes out to

find joy and hope in the God of Jacob, in the Lord his God (Ps.

146:5). The informed Christian will share in a similar optimism.

"The Bible clearly teaches that the dead do not go im-

mediately to heaven. They are represented as sleeping until the

resurrection.... In the very day when the silver cord is loosed

and the golden bowl broken ... , man's thoughts perish. They

that go down to the grave are in silence. They know no more of

anything that is done under the sun. . . . Blessed rest for the

weary righteous! Time, be it long or short, is but a moment to

them. They sleep; they are awakened by the trump of God to a

glorious immortality. . . . The last sensation was the pang of

death; the last thought, that they were falling beneath the power

of the grave. When they arise from the tomb, their first glad

thought will be echoed in the triumphal shout: '0 death, where

is thy sting? 0 grave, where is thy victory?'

"—The Great Con-

troversy,

p. 550.



THINK IT THROUGH



In life are we facing the fact of death? Does our outlook

differ from our neighbors'?



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 544-550.

Life, Death, and Resurrection

LESSON 10



❑

Wednesday

September 2



Part 4



What life-giving power did the Son of God share with His



THE



Father during His earthly ministry?

LIFE-GIVER

THINK IT THROUGH

"As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them;

even so the Son quickeneth whom he



For as the Father

hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in

himself" (John 5:21-26).

Well into His public ministry, our Lord performed His first

direct miracle of healing by restoring the man who had been

paralyzed for 38 years. This merciful act brought Christ into

conflict with the Jewish authorities, who accused Him of Sab-

bath breaking and claiming equality with God. (See John 5:18.)

Jesus ignored the accusation of Sabbath desecration, but He

vigorously upheld His own equality with the Father. In so doing

He concentrated on Their possessing the same life-giving

powers. He passed far beyond the healing of the paralytic and

boldly dealt with His ability to raise the dead—"the Son quick-

eneth [makes alive] whom he will' (verse 21). This power, He

explained, had been given Him by the Father. But it was not a

temporarily assumed ability; it was intrinsic; He had "life in

himself" (verse 26): "In him was life" (John 1:4). He developed

this claim still more clearly in John 5:28, 29 and boldly applied it

to the final resurrection. In the raising of Lazarus (John 11)

Jesus went beyond words and demonstrated beyond doubt that

He could bring the dead up from the grave.

Only hours before Calvary, how did the Master describe

Himself to His disciples? John 14:6.

In the upper room the Son of God gives His eleven disciples a

brief but comprehensive definition of His threefold function: He

is the

way

(to God); He is the

truth

(about God); He is the

life

(from God). The revelation that concerns us here is seeing Him

as the manifestation of life, the source and channel of life. There

is no life apart from Him. The Godhead agreed that all life should

flow through the Person of the Son. (See John 5:26; Col. 2:9.)

This function of the Son first touched our world at Creation

when He gave life not only to vegetation, but to all animate

creatures, and supremely to man. From that first week He who is

the Life has been sustaining life upon our world. (See Acts

17:25, 28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3.)

It is pleasant to contemplate Christ exercising His divine

powers In healing and resurrecting others, but do we also see

Him as our way, our truth, and our life? Is He currently, this

very day, giving us power to live His kind of life? Are we using

that power?

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 209-213.

Life, Death, and Resurrection

LESSON 10



❑

Thursday

September 3

Part 5



In His recorded ministry, what events reveal Jesus as hay-

RESURRECTION ing life in Himself?

Answer:

The Gospels recount three miracles of resurrection.

In order of occurrence they are:

Widow's Son at Nain—Luke 7:11-17.

There was nothing

noticeably premeditated here. Christ met the funeral proces-

sion and learned that a widow had lost her only son, the family

bread winner. Jesus "had compassion on her, and said unto

her, Weep not" (verse 13). He then addressed the young man,

who had been dead long enough to be ready for burial, and said:

"Arise." The authoritative voice penetrates the ears that would

normally be deaf, and the dead one comes to life immediately.

The revived youth sits up and speaks. There is no recall from a

disembodied, conscious state.

Jairus's Daughter—Mark 5:22-24, 35-43.

The 12-year-old

girl was seriously ill. Jesus was delayed in reaching her and was

then informed of her death. The mourning ceremonies had

already begun. But He called to her and said, "Damsel, I say

unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose" (verses 41,

42). Again, there was no doubt about the death, nor of the

resurrection.

Lazarus of Bethany—John 11:1-46.

This is the most deci-

sive of all the Saviour's miracles. It marks the watershed in His

ministry and caused the Sanhedrin to plot His death. Lazarus

was a beloved personal friend of the Master, yet Jesus so de-

layed His response to the sisters' plea for help that Lazarus had

been dead four days by the time Christ reached his tomb. There

was, then, no doubt about his being truly dead. But Jesus gave

the life-giving call: "Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead

came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes" (verses 43,

44).

John's narrative does more than record the raising of a dead

man to life. It centers on Christ and His resurrecting power in

relation to Lazarus and, on a wider scale, to all who die "in the

Lord." Martha voiced her belief in a final resurrection (verse 24);

but in response to Christ's own momentous declaration-1 am

the resurrection, and the life" (verse 25)—she made her own

amazing confession of faith: "I believe that thou art the Christ,

the Son of God, which should come into the world" (verse 27).

She thus focused attention on the central significance of the

miracle—it identifies Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God.

When that is recognized, all resurrections become possible.

THINK IT THROUGH



Do we realize clearly that our hopes for everlasting life rest

upon the reality of the resurrections about which we have

studied in this lesson? The raising of Lazarus is a pledge of

the raising of all believers who die before Christ's return.

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 318-320, 342, 343, 524-536.

Life, Death, and Resurrection

LESSON 10



❑

Friday

September 4

Part 6

HIS OWN

RESURRECTION

THINK IT THROUGH

In addition to giving life to the dead, how was Jesus still

more personally involved in the question of resurrection?

"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disci-

ples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many

things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be

killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matt. 16:21).

Hethrough whom all things were made, He who had originally

given life to all things that live, He knew, from an eternity of

experience, that He had "life in himself" (John 5:26). This calm

knowledge enabled Him to speak life to the dead. But would that

power function when He allowed Himself to die? The Gospels

show that Christ knew it would. He not only foresaw His arrest,

trial, crucifixion, and death; He foresaw His own resurrection.

This foreknowledge enabled Him to forecast on at least five

occasions that He would rise again (John 2:19; Matt. 12:40;

16:21; 17:9, 22, 23; 20:17-19).

What faultless witnesses to Christ's resurrection brought

conviction to His closest followers? Luke 24:1-9 with Matt.

28:1-8.

Two angels tell the two Marys (Matt. 28:1) that their crucified

Master is risen. The angelic informants remind the women that

Jesus had forewarned His disciples about His betrayal and had

foretold His own resurrection (Luke 24:5-7). The women re-

membered and in turn reminded the "eleven" and "all the rest"

(verses 8, 9).

It is possible that there were 15 post-resurrection appear-

ances

(S.D.A. Bible Commentary,

vol. 5, pp. 558-560) which

were distributed among different individuals and groups of the

Resurrected One's followers. Those who at first were skeptical

were convinced by seeing the risen Lord with their own eyes

and became potent witnesses to the resurrection. The infant

church was built on the fact of its Founder's conquest of death

and drew its vitality from a knowledge of His being enthroned at

the right hand of God, possessing all power and able to uphold

and direct His people on earth. These were the central themes of

apostolic preaching (Acts 2:22-36; 3:12-15, 26; 4:1-4, 8-12, 33;

5:29-32; 10:34-43; 13:30-37; 17:18, 29-32; 26:22, 23) and help to

explain the rapid spread of the new religion throughout the

Roman world.

What are some of the benefits that come to us because

Christ rose from the dead? Remember one of the most impor-

tant: "God, having raised his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you,

in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts

3:26).

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 786, 787.

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LESSON 11 September 6-12

Sileepers

Alva

"My sheep hear my voice, and I

know them, and they follow me: and I

give unto them eternal life; and they

shall never perish, neither shall any

man pluck them out of my hand" (John

10:27,

28).

One of the most persistent of all

the puzzles that confront mankind is

the enigma of death. It is one of the

certainties of life. It is not surprising,

then, that the morbid topic has

occupied some of the finest minds

and that these have produced many

explanations about death and its

sequel. But of himself man is no

nearer finding an answer to the

question than were his forebears.

Death is a religious, a theological

topic. It not only concerns man; on

an infinitely larger scale it concerns

his Creator. God cannot calmly

contemplate the loss of billions upon

billions of His creatures whom he

designed in His own image. Though

"precious in the sight of the Lord is

the death of his saints" (Ps. 116:15),

in the sense that it is noted and cared

for, it must bring the Father

continuing sorrow, assuaged only by

knowledge of the final solution in

redemption and restoration.

What is the answer that confronts

God and ourselves? As in all the

divine economy, the answer is found

in the Person of the Son. His

gospel—His birth, life, ministry,

death, resurrection, ascension, and

eternal priesthood—provides the

one and only answer to man's need

for solution to the problem of death.

"I am come that they might Have life"

(John 10:10). And the price that Jesus

paid for life—our life—was

death—His death. The lay theologian

C. S. Lewis has called Christ "the

representative 'Die-er' of the

universe."—Miracles (New York:

The Macmillan Company, 1948), p.

157. But without His death there

would be for us no life. With good

reason, then, Ellen White writes:

"Christ crucified for our sins, Christ

risen from the dead, Christ ascended

on high, is the science of salvation

that we are to learn and to

teach."—The

Ministry of Healing,

424. This can be taught and learned in

the context of our memory verse that

strikes such a victorious note and

forecasts the abolition of death.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

The Sleep of Death

(John 11:11)

Rest Before Resurrection

(John

5:28, 29)

Significance of Resurrection

(1 Cor. 15:13, 14)

Certainty of Resurrection

(1 Cor. 15:20)

Alive in Christ

(1 Thess. 4:14)

Life Eternal

(1 John 5:11)

Sleepers, Awake!

LESSON 11



❑

Sunday

September 6

Part 1



As the Source of life, how did Jesus make it clear that He

THE SLEEP would do something about the fatal illness that had stricken

OF DEATH Lazarus?

"These things said he: and after that he saith to them, Our

friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of

sleep" (John 11:11).

Christ's proposal to visit Bethany—less than two miles from

Jerusalem—alarmed the disciples, who feared that Jews from

the capital would stone their Master. The Lord calmed their

fears (verses 7-10) and turned their minds to the condition of

Lazarus. "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may

awake him out of sleep" (verse 11).

Death is often spoken of as a sleep, even by those who believe

in an immortal soul that leaves the body at death. But Christ's

later actions and words leave no room for such belief. Neither

does the disciples' reaction: "Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well

[lit. "shall be saved," that is, "recover"]. AsJohn explains, "they

thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep" (verse 12,

13). To remove all doubt, the Lord says plainly, "Lazarus is dead

; nevertheless let us go unto him" (verses 14, 15). And they

went.

It can only be long-held ideas that try to interpret John's

account of the miracle in terms of survival of an immortal soul

after death. There is no hint of such views in the story. If a soul

had left the body, the Saviour would have spoken differently. As

it was, He clearly called to the whole being and brought his

complete person out of the rocky grave.

In what ways did the burial and resurrection of Lazarus

parallel the similar experience of our Lord?

Five similarities may be noted:

Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb four days. Jesus,

according to Scripture reckoning, spent three days.

As Lazarus slept the unconscious sleep of death, so did his

Master rest quietly in the grave. (See

The Desire of Ages,

p. 769.)

As the Life-giver's voice aroused Lazarus from his sleep, so

"the angel of the Lord" aroused Christ. (See

The Desire of Ages,

pp. 779, 780.)

As the raising of Lazarus was the "crowning miracle" of

Christ's earthly ministry

(The Desire of Ages,

p. 529), so our

Lord's own resurrection was the crowning act in His total re-

demptive deed. (See Rom. 1:4.)

In both cases the dead Lazarus and the dead Son of God

slept in their tombs and knew no life until an animating Voice

bade them rise. Lazarus had clearly been only in the grave, and

Jesus Himself declared after His resurrection, "I am not yet

ascended to my Father" (John 20:17).

Sleepers, Awake!

LESSON 11



❑

Monday

September 7

Part 2

REST BEFORE

RESURRECTION

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

Why will both doers of good and doers of evil hear the voice

of the Son of God?

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all

that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come

forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;

and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damna-

tion" (John 5:28, 29).

The setting of these verses is Christ's discussion with the

Jews following His healing of the paralytic (verses 1-16, 26, 27).

In verse 18 those same Jews challenge the Lord's claims to

divinity, and this leads Him into discussion of resurrecting

power and judgment (verse 21, 22). The climax to His reasoning

comes in verses 28 and 29, which teach that all who have died

will be subject to one of the Judge's two resurrecting calls—the

good to life; the evil to condemnation or judgment. But such

calls would not be necessary if at death the righteous im-

mediately enter on eternal life while the wicked are cast into an

ever-burning hell. Judgment would already have been pro-

nounced and rewards bestowed for good or ill.

In harmony with Christ's own teaching of death as sleep,

what is a frequent New Testament way of referring to the

dead? Matt. 27:52. (See also Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 11:30; 1 Cor.

15:6, 18, 20, 21, 51; Eph. 5:14; 1 Thess. 4:14; 5:10.)

Although only New Testament references are listed, the softer

word, "sleep" for "death," is also an Old Testament term. In the

New Testament examples cited, the references are uniformly to

dead saints. It is surely not thinkable that the Inspired Word

would use a false description for so important a matter as the

condition of Christians who die before Christ returns—

especially since, if the dead are not asleep, they must in some

sense be awake and presumably living in the divine Presence.

Our next two lessons will study portions of the key New Testa-

ment chapter that is devoted to the relation of Christ to resurrec-

tion.

"In consequence of Adam's sin, death passed upon the whole

human race. All alike go down into the grave. And through the

provisions of the plan of salvation, all are to be brought forth

from their graves.... They who have been 'accounted worthy' of

the resurrection of life are 'blessed and holy.' On such the

second death hath no power.' . . . But those who have not,

through repentance and faith, secured pardon, must receive the

penalty of transgression—'the wages of sin.'

"—The Great Con-

troversy,

p. 544.

For which resurrection are we preparing?

The Acts of the Apostles,

pp. 257-259.

Sleepers, Awake!

LESSON 11



❑

Tuesday

September 8

Part 3



How does Paul teach the central importance of the resurrec-

SIGNIFICANCE tion for the truth of Christianity's message?

OF RESURRECTION

"If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not

risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and

your faith is also vain" (1 Cor. 15:13, 14).

It is clear from verse 12 that some Christians in Corinth were

denying the truth of the resurrection of the dead, and this denial

was undermining the faith of many. The situation was serious

enough for Paul to devote more space (the entire chapter 15) to

correcting the heresy than he gave to any other single topic.

He begins by summarizing the Gospel (verses 3, 4) and by

firmly establishing the scriptural and historical truth of the lit-

eral resurrection of Christ (verses 5-8). He then presents a

closely reasoned argument which links the reliability of Christ's

resurrection to the certainty of Christians' being raised. A rejec-

tion of the believers' hope denies the historicity of our Lord's

conquest of death (verse 13). This is strong but necessary lan-

guage, for the denial of either resurrection leaves a gaping hole

in the fabric of Christian doctrine. Without the resurrection of

Christ, the doctrine has no foundation; while without the hope

of the saints' restoration, the Christian message has no point,

and preaching it is not only useless but deceptive, and believing

it is foolish.

What will be the practical result of denying the truth of

Christ's resurrection? 1 Cor. 15:17, 18.

Belief or disbelief in the resurrection of Jesus is not a merely

academic matter—it has eternal consequences. If there is no

truth in the resurrection accounts, then we have based our faith

on a fable and have no grounds for believing that Christ has

power to grant eternal life to pardoned sinners. It also means

that Christians who have died in the faith were trusting in a

falsehood. There is no hope of their being raised—they have

perished.

But, thanks be to God, there is no need to doubt. Paul was

only pointing out the grim results that would have followed if he

and his converts had been deluded. There is a further by-

product from his reasoning. The dead saints were still dead;

they were not in glory. Their redemption, no less than ours,

depends not only on the truth of the resurrection narratives, but

on Christ's triumphal return and His calling the sleepers from

their graves.

THINK IT THROUGH

Carefully read 1 Corinthians 15:1-19, following the writer's

line of reasoning and relating his argument to the topic of life

after death. Consult also

S.D.A. Bible Commentary,

vol. 6, pp.

798-804.

Sleepers, Awake!

LESSON 11



❑

Wednesday

September 9



Part 4



After considering the losses that would accompany a denial

CERTAINTY of the resurrection, how does Paul assert the certainty and

OF RESURRECTION gain that follow the acceptance of the doctrine?

"Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-

fruits of them that slept" (1 Cor. 15:20).

"Certainly, Paul implies, none of the Corinthian believers

would deny that an integral part of the gospel message is the

resurrection of Christ (15:1-4). Therefore, they must now accept

the sequel—Christ guarantees the resurrection of the Christian

dead, as the word 'firstfruits' teaches. By 'firstfruits' Paul brings

to bear the rich imagery of the OT. The 'firstfruits'—the first

sheaf of the harvest offered to the Lord (Lev. 23:10-11, 17,

20)—was not only prior to the main harvest but was also an

assurance that the rest of the harvest was coming. So with

Christ. He preceded his people in his bodily resurrection and he

is also the guarantee of their resurrection at his second

coming."—The

Expositor's Bible Commentary

(Grand Rapids,

Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), vol. 10, p. 285.

Then comes the bold and logical affirmation in verse 22: "As

in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

Christ's virtue brings life, as Adam's son brought death. The

believer's faith is not in vain (verse 14). Christ is the firstfruits of

them that slept; the saints will rise "at his coming" (verse 23).

This implies that the saints remain dead until the Lord's appear-

ing.

In what confident language does the apostle portray the

climax of Christian hope for immortality? 1 Cor. 15:51, 52.

Here are two classes of Christians—those who "sleep" (in

death), and those who are alive at Christ's coming. Both classes

will be changed "at the last trump." If the righteous dead had

already been enjoying immortality, even if only as nebulous

spirits, they would not be needing transformation, neither

would they need to be reunited with resurrected bodies.

The apostle also declares: "We shall all be changed" (verse

51). This includes the righteous dead and the righteous living.

"The dead shall be raised incorruptible" (verse 52)—but if those

same dead have already been enjoying the incorruption of im-

mortality, they need no change. The truth is, however, that they

have succumbed to corruption in the grave and will need

Christ's transforming ministry no less than do their living breth-

ren and sisters.



THINK IT THROUGH



Meditate upon Paul's conclusion (1 Cor. 15:58) to his long

discourse on the resurrection.



FURTHER STUDY



S.D.A. Bible Commentary,

vol. 6, pp. 812, 813.

Sleepers, Awake!

LESSON 11



❑

Thursday

September 10

Part 5

ALIVE IN

CHRIST

What comfort is there in the Bible's description of the righ-

teous dead?

"If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them

also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him" (1 Thess.

4:14).

We have already read (part 3) of those "which are fallen

asleep in Christ" (1 Cor. 15:18). Here in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16

we learn of "them which are alseep," of those who "sleep in

Jesus," and of "the dead in Christ." The common denominator

for all descriptions is Jesus or Christ. The dead whom we de-

scribe as righteous have no merit of their own that will guaran-

tee their resurrection. They have recognized that in Christ is

their only hope of salvation and have surrendered themselves

into His keeping, believing He "is able to save them to the

uttermost that come unto God by him." They have committed

themselves into strong hands. "I give unto them eternal life; and

they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of

my hand," says the Saviour (John 10:28).

When will mortals put on immortality? 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.

There is an assured harmony (concerning the first resurrec-

tion) between these verses and those we studied in yesterday's

lesson (1 Cor. 15:51, 52). It is "the last trump" that wakes the

righteous dead, who are said to be asleep, and that alerts the

living saints to the nearness of their Lord's return. The dead are

raised "incorruptible," and the righteous living are changed,

both transformations taking place "in a moment, in the twin-

kling of an eye." While it is the sleeping saints who receive first

attention—that they may join their living fellow Christians and

be ready with them to meet the Lord—neither group takes

priority in translation. "We which are alive and remain shall be

caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in

the air."

"The time when this glorious transformation will take place is

next indicated. It will be at the second coming of Christ, for it is

then that the 'trump of God' will sound, and faithful believers

who have died will be raised in bodies that are entirely free from

all effects of sin.... Then Christians who are alive and looking

eagerly for the coming of their Lord will undergo a marvelous

change, whereby all traces of corruption and imperfection will

be removed from their bodies, which will be made like unto

Christ's glorious body.... They will have the wondrous experi-

ence of being taken from earth to heaven without dying."—

S.D.A.

Bible Commentary,

vol. 6, p. 812.

THINK IT THROUGH



Whether we live until the second coming or whether we die,

are we going to be "in Christ"?

Sleepers, Awake!

LESSON 11



❑

Friday

September 11



Part 6



In contrast to the prospect of death, in whom has our

LIFE ETERNAL heavenly Father made eternal life available to us?

"This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life,

and this life is in his Son" (1 John 5:11).

This statement is so simple that it can hardly be reduced to

simpler terms. Yet, within its simplicity it holds the deepest

spiritual insights that were granted to the beloved disciple,

John. Within it he distills the essence of the gospel—eternal life

is a gift from God, who has channeled that life through His Son.

This follows the pattern adopted by God in dealing with our

fallen world and its inhabitants. (See John 3:16; 5:22; 17:2; Matt.

11:27.) He does all through Christ, the Mediator between God

and man.

"But this great sacrifice was not made in order to create in the

Father's heart a love for man, not to make Him willing to save.

No, no! 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten

Son.' John 3:16. The Father loves us, not because of the great

propitiation, but He provided the propitiation because He loves

us."—Steps to Christ,

p. 13.

From the fact that eternal life is in God's Son, what further

truths does the apostle draw? 1 John 5:12.

"He that hath the Son hath life." This teaching is not

original with John; he received it from Jesus and from observing

His influence on men and women. He records the Master's own

words on the subject in his Gospel (John 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:26)

and includes his own conclusions (1:4, 12).

"He that hath not the Son of God hath not life." This is an

inevitable consequence of rejecting the Source of Life. "Belief

or disbelief in the Son of God is a matter of life or death; for,

while to the believer His coming is the supreme revelation of

God's love bringing the assurance of eternal life, to the unbe-

liever it is the sign that he remains the object of God's displea-

sure."— R. V. G. Tasker, ed.,

Tyndale New Testament Commen-

taries, The Gospel According to St. John

(Grand Rapids, Mich.:

William B. Eerdmans, 1973), p. 73.

Our possession or loss of eternal life depends on our attitude

to Jesus. There is no way of bypassing this requirement. It

makes possession of that life sound easy, deceptively so, and

makes its loss sound arbitrary but inescapable. This is the gos-

pel. Each one of us must decide to accept or reject it. Our

decision will determine our future, whether it will be everlasting

or tragically brief.



THINK IT THROUGH



What think ye of Christ? This is a large part of life's most

important question. The remaining part is: What are you doing

about Christ? How strong is His influence in your daily living?

LESSON 12 September 13-19

112 trato Eternilly

"When this corruptible shall have

put on incorruption, and this mortal

shall have put on immortality, then

shall be brought to pass the saying that

is written, Death is swallowed up in

victory. 0 death, where is thy sting? 0

grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Cor.

15:54,

55).

Humans are shortsighted in

respect to the future. We cannot see

one day ahead. A year, a decade, a

century become increasingly foggy

as they stretch ahead of us. It is easy

then for us to go off on a tangent and

wander far from truth. But we do

have "a more sure word of

prophecy" as "a light that shineth in

a dark place" (2 Peter 1:19). So the

general features of the future are

sketched out before us—they loom

as mountain peaks, sometimes

wrapped in mist, other times lighted

by a setting sun. Between those

peaks lie extensive valleys of which

we see nothing and of which we

should say

ting apart from any

information that comes from Him

who sees the end from the

beginning.

The subject of the resurrection

leads us far into the future, to the

threshold of eternity, into a land of

which we know little, and into which

the Bible gives but a few entrancing

glimpses. But since eternity lies

ahead, there will be ample time for

exploration and endless

opportunities to enlarge our

knowledge. Our present need is to

discover the landmarks which our

Lord has set up to save us from being

lost.

Biblical records of resurrections

and insistence on resurrection for all

members of the human family give us

the guidance we need. Those

records and forecasts give us a

compass bearing and set our eyes on

some of the peaks that lie ahead. We

cannot know all of the ups and

downs that await us, no more than

we can see all of a road over which

we have never before traveled. But

the "more sure word of prophecy"

provides both map and compass,

which will guide us to "the land that

is very far off" (Isa. 33:17).

The highest event on our present

horizon is the second coming of

Christ. At this juncture we are not

pausing to explore its awe-inspiring

details, but we will stay to look at

associated events—the first and

second resurrections, and the period

that lies between, which we call the

millennium.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Eternal Life—When?

(John 5:24)

Redemption for the Righteous

(1 Thess. 4:16)

Privileged Employ-1000 Years

(Rev. 20:4)

Destruction for Sinners

(Rev. 20:5)

God's Merciful Justice

(Lam. 3:22, 23)

New Bodies

(1 Cor. 15:35)

Into Eternity

LESSON 12



❑

Sunday

September 13

Part 1



With what assurance does Jesus convey His expectations

ETERNAL of resurrection and everlasting life for His followers?

LIFE—WHEN?

THINK IT THROUGH

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and

believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall

not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto

life" (John 5:24).

Here we have only a small sample of our Lord's teaching on

this aspect of Christian belief. In many ways and at many times

He taught the long-term nature of His redemptive program. He

who knew all things was not expecting an immediate rescue of

mankind from death's clutches. He knew that untold numbers

of His followers would go to the grave and remain there until

"the last day" (see the second part of today's lesson). This did

not prevent Him, however, from foreseeing triumph over death

by resurrection and the beginning of everlasting life for those

who "believe on him that sent" Him.

What is God's design for those who see His Son and believe

on Him? John 6:40.

While speaking with skeptical and materialistic Jews in the

Capernaum synagogue (verse 59), Jesus boldly declared His

Father's plan for all who would accept His Son. First, "every one

which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlast-

ing life." The linking of seeing and believing shows that more

than physical sight is required. This is implied in the word used

for "seeing," which is better translated "beholding" or "looking

upon"—that is,

perceiving

in Jesus of Nazareth the Son of God

and consequently believing that He is the One through whom

salvation comes. There is nothing arbitrary in God's will for His

people: He is only making their redemption possible. "Those

who see Christ in His true character, and receive Him into the

heart, have everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ

dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by

faith, is the beginning of the life eternal."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 388.

Second, faith is needed not only for the initial act of belief, but

also for holding on to the promise of eternal life, for this will not

be fully realized until "the last day." This points to a resurrec-

tion, without which a great proportion of the divine promises

would remain unfulfilled. As we continue our study, we should

gain a deeper understanding of the crucial importance of resur-

rection in the divine design.

The Lord has made it possible for us to be raised at the last

day. Are we making it possible for Him to fulfill His intention?

FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

p. 530.

Into Eternity

LESSON 12



❑

Monday

September 14

Part 2



In contrast to His ascension, how public will Christ's return

REDEMPTION FOR be, and what will be its immediate result for believers?

THE RIGHTEOUS

"The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,

with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and

the dead in Christ shall rise first" (1 Thess. 4:16).

These words that are so familiar to Adventists merit careful

thought because, with verse 17, they unveil so many facets of

our Lord's glorious return. After the resurrection of the sleeping

saints, we are assured that "we who are still alive and are left will

be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And so will we be with the Lord forever" (verse 17, NIV).

Thus it is that the promises recorded in John 14:1-3 will be at

last fulfilled. Christ had gone to prepare a place for His own, and

that place is ready. He promised to come again and to take His

disciples to Himself, and now they will be forever where He is. At

that time the many assurances of being granted eternal life will

be fulfilled to the resurrected and to the living believers.

In Scripture how is this resurrection designated? Rev.

20:4-6.

These verses may cause confused thinking unless they are

read carefully. Let us summarize them here. John sees the

faithful living and reigning with Christ 1000 years (verse 4). To

account for the unfaithful dead, he inserts a phrase (verse 5,

which is accepted by most as being parenthetical) to explain

that they would not rise until the end of those thousand years.

He then returns to his main theme begun in verse 4 and continu-

ing in the closing sentence of verse 5 and into verse 6. There we

meet the only two scriptural references to "the first resurrec-

tion," but they are enough to identify and define it for us—it is

the resurrection of the righteous redeemed. In John 5:29 Jesus

describes it as "the resurrection of life," and in Luke 14:14 it is

called "the resurrection of the just."

THINK IT THROUGH

"0 then what raptured greetings,

On Canaan's happy shore!

What knitting severed friendships up

Where partings are no more!"

—Henry Alford,

The Lutheran Hymnary

(Minneapolis,

Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House,

1935), no. 617.

FURTHER STUDY



Early Writings,

pp. 52-54.

Into Eternity

LESSON 12



❑

Tuesday

September 15



Part 3



What will be a vital part of the work of the redeemed during

PRIVILEGED the millennium?

EMPLOY-



1000 YEARS



"I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was

given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were be-

headed for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and

which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,

neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their

hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand

years" (Rev. 20:4).

The revelator sees a vivid tableau in heaven. There are

thrones, symbols of kingly and judicial power. "They" who sat

upon them are quickly shown to be the saints who have re-

mained faithful to Christ, many of them even unto death. To

them was granted the responsibility of judgment—that is why

they are enthroned. This appears to be the occasion foreseen by

Daniel—"judgment was given to the saints of the most High"

(Dan. 7:22), though it should be noted that many modern trans-

lations render the same phrase, "judgment was given in favour

of the saints of the Most High" (NEB). Paul asks the Corinthians

if they do not know that "the saints shall judge the world" and

that "we shall judge angels" (1 Cor. 6:2, 3). "The world" must

refer to unrepentan,t sinners, since the glorified saints will not

come under any judicial review at that time and would, in any

case, not be judging themselves. "Angels" must be those who

followed Lucifer, since those who are loyal to God will need no

judgment. It therefore appears that it is the resurrected saints of

all ages who will participate with Christ in judging those who

have spurned the love of God as revealed in Christ's saving

ministry. "In union with Christ they judge the wicked, compar-

ing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding

every case according to the deeds done in the body."—The

Great Controversy,

p. 661.

What other activities will occupy the saints during the

thousand years? Rev. 20:6.

The ransomed ones, united with Christ at the time of the first

resurrection, will render priestly service in the presence of God,

will be corulers with Christ during the millennium. This is not

surprising. Angels have been ministering before the Most High

God from time immemorial and have been assisting the Son in

His kingly tasks through past eternity. It is surely appropriate

that those who have become sons of God should also partici-

pate in heaven's government while in their Father's house.



THINK IT THROUGH



What preparation can we make today to be among the

saints during the millennium?



FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 658-661.

100

Into Eternity

LESSON 12



❑

Wednesday

September 16

Part 4



How can the resurrection of "the rest of the dead" be iden-

DESTRUCTION tified, and when will it take place?

FOR SINNERS

"The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand

years were finished" (Rev. 20:5).

If the resurrection of the just is called "the first," the one that

follows becomes "the second," though it is not so called in

Scripture. We do read, however, of "the second death," which

presupposes a second resurrection (verse 14). There is no room

for doubt on the timing of this second event. It occurs at the end

of the thousand years. At that time "they that have done evil"

shall hear Christ's voice "and shall come forth . . . unto the

resurrection of damnation," that is, judgment (John 5:28, 29).

"At the first resurrection all come forth in immortal bloom, but

at the second, the marks of the curse are visible upon all. All

come up as they went down into their graves. Those who lived

before the flood, come forth with their giant-like stature, more

than twice as tall as men now living upon the earth, and well

proportioned. The generations after the flood were less in

stature."—Spiritual Gifts,

vol. 3, p. 84.

What notable event signals the close of the thousand

years? Rev. 20:7.

The devil, that is, Satan, has been bound for a thousand years

(Rev. 20:1, 2). But the Lord of hosts cannot consider keeping the

producer of sin in endless captivity, for that would perpetuate

sin and keep the universe ever hostage to its evil possibilities.

Neither can the Just One arbitrarily destroy the prime sinner and

his dupes. Those who oppose God must be permitted to reveal

their true natures, and that opportunity comes at the close of the

millennium (verse 3). All who have chosen sin and rejected

divine mercy, from Cain to the unrepentant who have been slain

by the glory of the second advent (Rev. 6:15-17), now being

raised, will make their final, desperate attempt to overthrow the

government of God (Rev. 20:8, 9). Here is the supreme illustra-

tion of the inescapable truth concerning persistent, unrepented

sin: "Sin, when it is f inished, bringeth forth death" (James 1:15).

What are our daily lives doing to save God's rebellious

children from the horrors of the second death (Rev. 20:10-15)?

FURTHER STUDY



S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol.

7, pp. 883, 884.

101

THINK IT THROUGH

Into Eternity

LESSON 12



❑

Thursday

September 17

Part 5

GOD'S MERCIFUL

JUSTICE

Which of the divine characteristics is responsible for our

own continued existence?

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, be-

cause his compassions fail not. They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness" (Lam. 3:22, 23).

This beautiful, factual declaration of the Lord's mercy should

give us a spiritual equilibrium in face of the havoc wrought by

sin. Sin produces death—both that common to the human race

and the eternal death of the lost. If it were not for the Lord's

mercies, our ancestors would have been consumed long ago,

and we might not even have existed. That we continue to live is

due entirely to God's mercy and compassion—qualities derived

from His being the embodiment of love. This revelation of God's

mercy is woven into the warp and woof of both Testaments. In the

Old, the pattern is superbly displayed in Exodus 34:5, 6, in Jer-

emiah 31:3, and in Micah 7:18. In the New, it is depicted in John

3:16, in Matthew 23:34-38, and in Titus 3:5. How grateful we

should be for the depth and continuity of God's mercy!

When the Lord's mercy is rejected, what only can be the

final outcome of sin? James 1:15.

Sin has always been destructive. It blights everything it

touches and, if uninterrupted, causes death. A hint of the man-

ner in which sin itself is finally destroyed may be seen in the fate

that is prophetically forecast for Lucifer, the author of sin. The

judgment of the fallen cherub comes not from a vengeful Deity,

but, as Ezekiel foretells, "a fire from the midst of thee, it shall

devour thee." (Eze. 28:18.) When God's protecting hand is

withdrawn from Lucifer, the sin he has so long cherished and

which he has shared with his deluded hosts, will be as a fire

within him, and will bring him "to ashes upon the earth." This

may be one aspect of the terrible fate depicted in Revelation

20:10. It is undoubtedly the ultimate fulfillment of Romans 6:23:

"The wages of sin is death."

"Satan deceives many with the plausible theory that God's

love for His people is so great that He will excuse sin in them....

But in all His dealings with His creatures God has maintained

the principles of righteousness by revealing sin in its true

character—by demonstrating that its sure result is misery and

death. The unconditional pardon of sin never has been, and

never will be. Such pardon would show the abandonment of the

principles of righteousness, which are the very foundation of

the government of

God."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 522.



THINK IT THROUGH



To what degree are we conscious that our daily lives are

dependent on the Lord's mercies?



FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 39-43.

102

Into Eternity

LESSON 12



❑

Friday

September 18



Part 6



To which questions regarding resurrection, occuring natur-

NEW BODIES ally to an inquiring mind, does Paul give his inspired atten-

tion?

"Some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with

what body do they come?" (1 Cor. 15:35).

Those few who were raised from the dead and given a further

lease on life during biblical times returned to their normal,

earth-bound environments. Apart from being healed of fatal

weakness and disease, their bodies remained as they had been

before death. They were returned to life but were still subject to

death. This cannot be so for those who participate in the first

resurrection, or the living who are translated with them. Paul

enlarged on this theme: "It fthe body

' is sown in corruption; it is

raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory:

it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power" (1 Cor. 15:42, 43).

"Sin defaced and almost obliterated the divine image; but

Christ came to restore that which had been lost. He will change

our vile bodies, and fashion them like unto His glorious body.

The mortal, corruptible form, devoid of comeliness, once pol-

luted with sin, becomes perfect, beautiful, and immortal. All

blemishes and deformities are left in the grave."—The

Great

Controversy,

p. 645.

For what reason might the apostle bluntly turn our attention

from the earthly to the eternal? 1 Cor. 15:49.

It is so easy to be obsessed with "the earthy," and to give less

than second place to "the heavenly." But Paul reminds us that

our present natural body has a limited life, while our future is

linked to a heavenly or spiritual form. This is said in still more

memorable language in 2 Corinthians 4:18: "The things which

are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are

eternal." This piece of religious philosophy is closely tied to the

question of resurrection and the firmness of our belief in it. We

need, then, to "look not at the things which are seen, but at the

things which are not seen" (verse 18). In other words, we need

to cultivate the eternal outlook. "If we are indeed journeying

thither, the spirit of heaven will dwell in our hearts here. But if

we find no pleasure now in the contemplation of heavenly

things; if we have no interest in seeking the knowledge of God,

no delight in beholding the character of Christ; if holiness has

no attractions for us—then we may be sure that our hope of

heaven is

vain."—Testimonies,

vol. 5, p. 745.



THINK IT THROUGH



What does our life-style proclaim regarding our belief in the

reality and the nearness of the first resurrection?



FURTHER STUDY



Phil. 3:18-21;

Testimonies, vol.

1, pp. 705-707.

103

LESSON 13 September 20-26

il3 Fruits of

eiblef

111'4

"The God of peace, that brought

again from the dead our Lord Jesus,

that great shepherd of the sheep,

through the blood of the everlasting

covenant, make you perfect in every

good work to do his will, working in

you that which is wellpleasing in his

sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be

glory for

ever

and ever. Amen" (Heb.

13:20, 21).

This beautiful petition, coming at

the close of the Epistle to the

Hebrews, asks that the book's

message might lead its readers to

perfection. This week's lesson has a

somewhat similar purpose. For

twelve weeks we have had fellowship

with the Father, the Son, and the

Holy Spirit, studying Their creativity

in nature and in our own lives. Now,

at the close of the quarter, we are

taking time for a backward glance

over some of our beliefs, in an

endeavor to apply their principles to

our daily conduct. Belief and

conduct should be inseparably

linked as cause and effect. Perhaps,

whether we know it or not, they

always are. When there is an

apparent and regrettable

contradiction between the two, our

conduct may only be reflecting a

corresponding weakness in one or

more of our beliefs. There is an old

confession which undoubtedly

expresses truth for each one of us:

"We have done those things we

ought not to have done, and left

undone those things we ought to

have done." A fresh confrontation

with our own inconsistencies may

help us to utter with new earnestness

the prayer from Dryden's translation

of a ninth-century hymn: "Make us

eternal truth receive, and practise all

that we believe." And that, after all, is

the core and the touchstone of our

religion: "Not every one that saith

unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into

the kingdom of heaven; but he that

doeth the will of my Father which is

in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). As Thomas1

Kempis said more than five hundred

years ago, "When the Day of

Judgment comes, we shall not be

asked what we have read, but what

we have done; not how well we have

spoken, but how religiously [i.e.,

righteously] we have lived"—The

Imitation of Christ,

bk. 1, ch. 3:3.

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Father of Mercies

(Ps. 103:13, 14)

Saviour From Sin

(1 Tim. 1:15)

Promise of Power

(Acts 4:31)

Law Lovers

(Ps. 119:97)

Lovers of New Life

(Rom. 12:2)

Raised Like Christ

(Col. 2:12)

Fruits of Belief

LESSON 13



❑

Sunday

September 20

Part 1



How effective is it for David to use the example of human

FATHER OF parentage to reveal our heavenly Father's compassion for

MERCIES us?

"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them

that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that

we are dust" (Ps. 103:13, 14).

The psalmist uses the created to introduce the Creator, but he

realizes the poverty of the comparison. The purest of human

affections, however, do reflect their source—the vast compas-

sion of God. This is yoked to His qualities of mercy and grace

(verse 8)—infinite in extent and eternal in duration (verse 17).

Our response to them should be not only gratitude, but, with

divine aid, imitation.

"The one thing essential for us in order that we may receive

and impart the forgiving love of God is to know and believe the

love that He has to us. Satan is working by every deception he

can command, in order that we may not discern that love. .. But

we may tell the enemy that 'the blood of Jesus Christ His Son

cleanseth us from all sin.' When we feel that we have sinned,

and cannot pray, it is then time to

pray."—Thoughts From the

Mount of Blessing,

p. 115.

What should be our response to God's goodness toward

us? Ps. 103:1, 2.

THINK IT THROUGH

David was well acquainted with "the mercy of the Lord." He

knew that his daily life depended on it, and much of his spirit of

praise in psalms sprang from gratitude for benefits that flowed

from the Lord's unfailing kindness toward him. That is why he

cried, "Bless the Lord, 0 my soul." In saying this, he is not

bestowing a blessing on the Almighty but is bidding himself—

his soul—praise the Lord for all mercies received. It is we who

are doubly blessed, first by divine benevolence, then by the act

of praising the Giver. "It is for our own benefit to keep every gift

of God fresh in our memory. Thus faith is strengthened to claim

and to receive more and more. There is greater encouragement

for us in the least blessing we ourselves receive from God than

in all the accounts we can read of the faith and experience of

others. The soul that responds to the grace of God shall be like a

watered garden."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 348.

When did you last count your blessings and thank God for

them?

FURTHER STUDY



Patriarchs and Prophets,

pp. 753-755.

106



Fruits of Belief



LESSON 13



❑

Monday

September 21



Part 2



For what purpose above all others did the Son of God come

SAVIOUR into our world?

FROM SIN

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I

am chief" (1 Tim. 1:15).

This has always been Christ's mission from Eden onward, but

humanity has ever been willing to ignore the divine purpose and

to substitute lesser objectives which fall short of salvation from

sin. The Son certainly came to set us an example (1 Peter 2:21),

but that alone would have done no permanent good, for we have

no power in ourselves to copy that example (Rom. 7:18). Thank

God that His sights were set higher. In Peter's words, He sent

Jesus "to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his

iniquities" (Acts 3:26). That is why the Son was given the name

Jesus ("Jehovah is salvation"), "for he shall save his people

from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). "Jesus died, not to save man

his

sins, but

from

his sins. Man is to leave the error of his ways, to

follow the example of Christ, to take up his cross and follow

Him, denying self, and obeying God at any

cost."—

Testimonies,vol.

4, p. 251.

At what personal cost did the Lord of glory make our salva-

tion possible? Isa. 53:5.

This is only a very small part of the picture, but it lifts a corner

of the veil to give a glimpse of the divine Sufferer. In moving

language it shows His being wounded (or tormented), bruised

(or crushed), punished, scourged because of our transgres-

sions and iniquities, that we might find peace and healing. We

need to read the whole of this chapter at frequent intervals to

deepen our realization that "the Lord hath laid on him the

iniquity of us all." Such reading would also help us fulfill the

counsel given in

The Desire of Ages,

page 83: "It would be well

for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of

the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the

imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As

we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in

Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we

shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be

saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humilia-

tion at the foot of the cross."



THINK IT THROUGH



When did I last behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the

sin of the world? Am I allowing Him to free me from my sins?



FURTHER STUDY



The Desire of Ages,

pp. 25, 26.

107

Fruits of Belief

LESSON 13



❑

Tuesday

September 22

Part 3



What Power made it possible for the apostles to fulfill their

PROMISE Christ-given commission?

OF POWER

"When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they

were assembled together; and they were all filled with the

Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness"

(Acts 4:31).

One of the most striking of all the miracles that accompanied

the founding and development of the early church was the

transformation of timid disciples into powerful apostles. This

change was brought about in large part by the ministry of the

Holy Spirit. In accordance with Christ's promise, they had ini-

tially received power by the Spirit's coming upon them at

Pentecost (Acts 1:8; 2:4). But this was not a one-time event. It

was repeated in response to prayer and need, even as recorded

in the above verse and in Acts 2:33. Their experience, which was

shared by the central group of Christians in Jerusalem, may be

ours, too, when we follow a similar Spirit-centered program.

"Since this is the means by which we are to receive power, why

do we not hunger and thirst for the gift of the Spirit? Why do we

not talk of it, pray for it, and preach concerning it? The Lord is

more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who serve Him than

parents are to give good gifts to their children."—The

Acts of

the Apostles,

p. 50.

What effect did the coming of the Spirit have on "the mul-

titude of them that believed"? Acts 4:32.

Unless He is restricted by us in His ministry, the Spirit does not

make selections that exclude rank-and-file church members

from receiving power from on high. The new believers had

witnessed Pentecost, had been baptized, and had been prom-

ised "the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38, 39). That promise

had been fulfilled (Acts 4:31). As a result they "were of one heart

and of one soul" (verse 32). This Spirit-inspired unity not only

gave power to themselves, but laid a strong foundation on

which the apostles were able to build a still mightier ministry

(verse 33). "Thus it was in the early church; and when in the

church of today it is seen that by the power of the Spirit the mem-

bers have taken their affections from the things of the world,

and that they are willing to make sacrifices in order that their fel-

low men may hear the gospel, the truths proclaimed will have a

powerful influence upon the hearers."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 71.

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

108

We talk much about the gift of the Spirit. What are we per-

sonally doing, how are we personally living, to encourage the

Spirit to come into our daily lives?

The Acts of the Apostles,

pp. 49-56.

Fruits of Belief

LESSON 13



❑

Wednesday

September 23

Part 4

LAW LOVERS

THINK IT THROUGH

What is the ideal response to the law of the Lord?

"0 how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day" (Ps.

119:97).

The Hebrew word

torah

is translated in this text as "law." As

we have observed in lesson 6, part 2, reference to law embraces

more than the Decalogue.

Torah

denotes the total body of in-

struction given to God's people. It is appropriate, then, that the

loyal follower love the Lord's instruction. He recognizes it is

sound counsel, intended for his protection and guidance. He

does not find it wearying. As he grows in religious experience,

he can even echo his Lord's words: "I delight to do thy will, 0 my

God: yea, thy law is within my heart" (Ps. 40:8).

When the same loyalist says, "It is my meditation all the day,"

it is unlikely that he spends all his waking hours pondering on

the Torah; but rather, he constantly—consciously or otherwise

—seeks God's guidance for each day's situations and finds the

law of the Lord adequate for all eventualities.

What is the most important issue in commandment keep-

ing? Matt. 22:36-40.

This exposition of the essence of the law was already known

in Judaism, having been clearly stated by Moses (Deut. 6:5;

10:12, 13; 30:6). But its truth had long been clouded by legalism,

and the Lawgiver was needed to remind men that acceptable

law keeping issued from love—love for God and man.

"It is not possible for the heart in which Christ abides to be

destitute of love. If we love God because He first loved us, we

shall love all for whom Christ died. We cannot come in touch

with divinity without coming in touch with humanity; for in Him

who sits upon the throne of the universe, divinity and humanity

are combined. Connected with Christ, we are connected with

our fellow men by the golden links of the chain of love. Then the

pity and compassion of Christ will be manifest in our life. We

shall not wait to have the needy and unfortunate brought to us.

We shall not need to be entreated to feel for the woes of others.

It will be as natural for us to minister to the needy and suffering

as it was for Christ to go about doing

good."—Christ's Object

Lessons,

pp. 384, 385.

What hinders us from holding a right attitude to God's

commandments—is it shallow thinking, unrecognized at-

tachment to sinful thought and habit, or failure to love Him who

first loved us?

FURTHER STUDY



The Great Controversy,

pp. 472-474.

109

Fruits of Belief

LESSON 13



❑

Thursday

September 24

Part 5

LOVERS OF

NEW LIFE

THINK IT THROUGH

FURTHER STUDY

110

What counsel does Paul give to Christians which, if fol-

lowed, will enable them to do God's will?

"Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by

the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that

good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:2).

This message is for all believers. The apostle exhorts us to

resist pressures that would turn us into world! ings. Instead, we

are urged to permit ourselves to be completely changed. (The

Greek word translated "transformed" is that from which our

word

metamorphosis

is derived, and it is in Matthew 17:2 for the

transfiguration of Christ.) When we are born again, we are given

new minds as well as new hearts, but we must not stand still in

mind or spirit. We must continually develop, striving to fulfill

God's perfect will. (Compare Eph. 4:13.)

"Man, fallen man, may be transformed by the renewing of the

mind, so that he can 'prove what is that good, and acceptable,

and perfect, will of God.' How does he prove this? By the Holy

Spirit taking possession of his mind, spirit, heart, and character.

Where does the proving come in? 'We are made a spectacle

unto the world, and to angels, and to men.' A real work is

wrought by the Holy Spirit upon the human character, and its

fruits are seen."—Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible

Commentary,

vol. 6, p. 1080.

How can we further assist the divine Power in the transfor-

mation of our characters? Col. 3:12.

While we are saved by God's grace and not by any merit of our

own, it is not intended that we should be spiritual robots. We are

meant to cooperate with the Lord in His redemptive work. It is in

this spirit that we are urged to "put on" or "clothe ourselves

with" a compassionate heart, kindness, humility—not merely of

manner but of thought, meekness, or courtesy—and patience.

Not everyone who possesses one or more of these qualities is a

Christian, but a Christian should possess these spiritual, social

gifts. "If you live upon the plan of addition, adding grace to

grace, God will multiply unto you His grace. While you add, God

multiplies. If you cherish a habitual impression that God sees

and hears all that you do and say, and keeps a faithful record of

all your words and actions, and that you must meet it all, then in

all you do and say you will seek to follow the dictates of an

enlightened and wakeful conscience."—Testimonies, vol. 4, p.

244.

How much have I grown since baptism? What spiritual and

intellectual growth has come during the past year?

Steps to Christ,

"Consecration," pp. 43-48.



Fruits of Belief



LESSON 13



❑

Friday

September 25



Part 6



In Christian doctrine there is a close connection between

RAISED

baptism and resurrection. The first is preparation for the sec-

LIKE CHRIST

ond. He who refuses baptism has no right to expect resurrec-

tion. But baptism is more than immersion in water, and resur-

rection is more than rising from a grave. As genuine baptismal

experience brings "newness of life," so the first resurrection

will bring a new and eternal life (John 11:25, 26). In this closing

lesson of the quarter, then, let us explore the deep spiritual

significance of both experiences.

"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with

him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised

him from the dead" (Col. 2:12).

Here the apostle clearly links baptism and resurrection, but

only as both are associated with Christ. We must be "buried

with him

in baptism." Jesus Himself was baptized as an example

for us to follow, and baptism is beneficial only as we con-

sciously follow the Example. When that condition is fulfilled,

then what God did for Christ in raising Him from the dead will

operate similarly on our behalf.

What eternal assurance can we gain from our baptismal

experience? Rom. 6:5.

The little word "if" has great significance here. It requires that

in passing through baptismal waters we actually die to sin as

surely as Jesus died and was buried after crucifixion. When this

death takes place in our lives, then we have the promise of

sharing in Christ's eternal life by His grace through the first

resurrection. In this way our present choice of action decides

our eternal future—for life or for death.

"The vows which we take upon ourselves in baptism embrace

much. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit we

are buried in the likeness of Christ's death and raised in the

likeness of His resurrection, and we are to live a new life. Our life

is to be bound up with the life of Christ. Henceforth the believer

is to bear in mind that he is dedicated to God, to Christ, and to

the Holy Spirit.... Publicly he has declared that he will no longer

live in pride and self-indulgence. He is no longer to live a care-

less, indifferent life. He has made a covenant with God. He has

died to the world. He is to live to the

Lord."—Testimonies,

vol. 6,

pp. 98, 99.



THINK IT THROUGH



Most of us remember our birthdays. Would it help our

spiritual growth if we annually commemorated the day of our

baptism? Is our Christian life "newer" now than then?



FURTHER STUDY



Steps to Christ,

"Growing Up Into Christ," pp. 67-75.

111

4fth



vim/ X14°

Sabbath School members who have not received a copy of the Adult Lessons for the

fourth quarter of 1981 will be helped by the following outline in studying the first two

lessons. The title of the series is "This We Believe (Part Two)."

First Lesson

OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST

Memory Text, Heb. 3:1

Tabernacle and Temple (Ex. 25:8, 9)

2. The Priest's Office (Ex. 28:1)

3. The Perfect Priest (Heb. 8:1, 2)

4. "Like Unto His Brethren" (Heb. 2:17)

Our Intercessor (Heb. 9:24)

6. The Believer's Response (Heb. 4:16)

Second Lesson

JUDGMENT AND THE JUDGE

Memory Text, 2 Cor. 5:10

1. Subject to Judgment (Gen. 1:28)

God and Judgment (Eccl. 12:13, 14)

Judgment on Earth (Lev. 6:2-7)

Judgment in Heaven (Dan. 8:14)

New Testament and Judgment (Acts 17:30, 31)

Preparation for Judgment (1 John 2:1)

Lessons in 3raille

The regular Adult Sabbath School Lessons are available free each month it

Braille and 16

rpm records to blind and physically handicapped persons

who cannot read normal inkprint. This includes individuals who because of

arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, accidents, old age, and so forth

cannot hold or focus on normal inkprint publications. Contact the Christiar

Record Braille Foundation, Box 6097, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506.

tot

The all new 9-volume TESTIMONIES set

Larger print, larger size, designed to match your 5-volume CONFLICT set. The

TESTIMONIES provide counsel for every church member from the Spirit of

Prophecy. Time is running out, and the TESTIMONIES are needed to guide God's

people through the times that are upon us. U.S. $52.95.

GOD CARES, Vol. 1

The message of Daniel by C. Mervyn Maxwell

This book contains the latest research on the book of Daniel. You will discover

that prophecy not only foretells the future, but also tells us about God and how

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the great world empires in advance, what the end of the world will be like, and

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Available now at your local Adventist Book Center or the ABC Mailing Service:

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114

BALANCE

•

The

WORKING CLASS

OUR STUDY TIME WITH SHARE TIME BY

RANSFORMING YOUR SABBATH SCHOOL

CLASS INTO AN EVANGELISTIC UNIT.

Suggested Class Projects

•

Prison ministry

•

Branch Sabbath Schools • Literature ministry

•

Religious survey of neighborhood

•

Story hours • Visitation of shut-ins

•

Singing bands for nursing homes

•

In gathering

What is your SOUL GOAL?

rtaleza

CHI

UNIO

13th Sabbath

Projects

Construction of

Trans-Amazon

Academy.

Evangelistic

Center for

Fortaleza, and

chapels

throughout North

Brazil Union.

Two new

academies, and

new dormitory

for a third in

South Brazil

Union.

AUSTRAL

UNION

deo

Church



S.S.

Population Churches Members Members

Austral

32,500,030

208

41,288

39,818

Chile

10,918,485

136

34,306

29,421

East Brazil

69,551,800

310

89,577

95,797

Inca

31,117,348

304

10E1,786

119,670

North Brazil

16,509,186

46,382

50,422

South Brazil

52,5130,300

441

144,715

139,884

DIVISION TOTALS

213,177,099

1,483

465,064

474,992

Figures

of Fourth Quarter 1979

71erra del Fuego

Unions

South American Division